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THE 



MYSTERY SOLVED; 



OR, 



A BIBLE EXPOSE OF THE SPIRIT RAPPINGS. 



SHOWING THAT THEY ARE NOT CAUSED BY THE SPIRITS OF THE DEAD, 
BUT BY EVIL DEMONS. OR DKYILS, 



BY JOHN C. BYWATER, 



\L A MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL. 

■ . 



i " Wo to the inhabiters of the earth, and of the sea ! for the deyil 
is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that 
he hath but a short time." — Rev. xii; 12. 



ROCHESTER: 

PUBLISHED AT THE ADVENT HARBINGER OFFICE 

1852. 



^ 



J^u* 



^ p 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1852, by 
JOHN" C. BYWATER, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, for the 
Northern District of New York. 



PRINTED BY LEE, MANN & CO., AMERICAN BUILDING. 

stereotyped by j. w. brown, "Rochester. 



PREFACE. 



Doubtless the reader has heard of "the Mysterious Noises," "the 
Rochester Knockings," "the Spirit Rappings," "Spirit Manifesta- 
tions," &c, and would be glad to know their nature and cause. It is 
the object of the following pages to give information on this subject. 
"We believe this mystery can be explained to the satisfaction of all 
candid minds, and, moreover, that in our day an understanding of it 
is of some importance, beyond the mere gratification of the love of 
novelty. 

In order that the reader may be able to form his own opinion, we 
have endeavored to furnish him the materials for doing so. For this 
purpose wo have given a concise history of these mysterious manifes- 
tations in our own day, also accounts of similar phenomena in former 
times, as well as the testimony of a large number of intelligent and 
candid persons in reference to them ; and we think the reader will find 
such means of information more ample in this work than in any other 
extant 

With regard to the Exposition, the reader must judge when he has 
read it We, of course, believe it is the best that has yet been given, 
or we should not have published it. The whole phenomenon may be 
accounted for on the hypothesis we have chosen, but it can not, we 
think, on any other we have seen. 

In mechanical execution, the work will not suffer in comparison 
with other first editions. 

The arrangement is not perfect, wo are aware ; yet we trust the 
reader will not find much fault with it in this respect. 

On some points we have done but little more than give hints, leav- 
ing the reader to carry out the subject which he will find it easy, and, 
we trust pleasurable to do. 

In conclusion, we would say, we can not invest our humble book 
with the mysterious awe of the spheres and circles of the " spirit 



IV PREFACE. 

■world," nor tell our readers that it has been written under the direc- 
tion and control of the spirits of the dead ; yet we can assure them 
that our object has been to arrive at the truth. "We ask for it a candid 
reading, indulgence toward its imperfections, and a respectful consid- 
eration of the views it contains. 

J. C. BYWATER. 
Rochester, N. Y., May 17, 1852. 



MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS. 

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THEM. 



For the benefit of those who have not had an opportunity 
to become acquainted with the facts connected with these man- 
ifestations, a brief history is here given. Our information is 
derived from perfectly credible sources, and may be relied upon 
as correct 

HYDESVILLE. 

These sounds were first heard in a small village named Hydes- 
ville, in the town of Arcadia, Wayne county, Sew York. The 
house where they were heard was occupied during a part of 
the years 1846 and 1847, by Mr. Michael Weekman. During 
this time, Mr. W. states that, one evening, about nine o'clock, 
as he was preparing to retire for the night, he heard a rap- 
ping on the out side door. He opened it, but saw no one. In 
a few moments, the rapping on the door was repeated, and was 
louder than at first. He immediately stepped to the door, and 
opened it ; no person was to be seen. He went into the street 
and looked about the house, and returned, without seeing any 
one. Soon the noise was repeated, and, failing to see any per- 
son, he placed his hand on the latch of the door, in order to 
open it immediately, should the annoyance be continued. 
Again the rapping was heard — he felt the door jar, and sprang 
into the street. No person was to be seen anywhere, in the 
vicinity. 

Excepting a manifestation to the daughter of Mr. W., then 
some eight years old, nothing unusual is reported to have been 
seen or heard by him, while he occupied the premises. 

The family of Mr. John D. Fox moved into the house on 



6 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS: 

the 11 tli of December, 1847. Their former residence was 
Rochester. They heard the rapping first, the latter part of 
March, 1848, one evening, after they had retired for the night. 
It seemed to be in one of the bed rooms, and sounded as 
though some one was knocking on the floor, moving chairs, 
&c. Four or five members of the family were at home, and 
they all got up, to ascertain the cause of the noise. Every part 
of the house was searched, yet nothing could be discovered. 
A perceptible jar was felt by putting their hands on the bed- 
steads and chairs ; a jar was also experienced while standing on 
the floor. The noise was continued that night as long as any 
one was awake, in the house. The following evening they 
were heard as before, and on the evening of the 31st of March, 
the neighbors were called in for the first time. 

The following is an extract from Mrs. Fox's statement, made 
soon after the occurrences narrated took place : 

" On Friday night, we concluded to go to bed early, and 
not let it disturb us ; if it came we thought we would not mind 
it, but try and get a good night's rest. My husband was here 
on all these occasions, heard the noise and helped search. It 
was very early when we went to bed on this night; hardly 
dark. We went to bed so early, because we had been broken 
so much of our rest that I was almost sick. 

"My husband had not gone to bed when we first heard the 
noise on this evening. I had just laid down. It commenced 
as usual. I knew it from all other noises I had ever heard 
in the house. The girls, who slept in the other bed in the 
.room, heard the noise, and tried to make a similar noise by 
snapping their fingers. The youngest girl is about twelve 
years old ; she is the one who made her hand go. As fast 
as she made the noise with her hands or fingers, the sound was 
followed up in the room. It did not sound any different at that 
time, only it made the same number of noises that the girl did. 
When she stopped, the sound itself stopped for a short time. 
|^" The other girl, who is in her 15th year, then spoke in sport 
and said, * Now do just as I do. Count one, two, three, four,' 
<fec, striking one hand in the other at the same time. The 
blows which she made were repeated as before. It appeared 
to answer her by repeating every blow that she made. She 
only did so once. She then began to be startled ; and then I 



STATEMENT OF MRS. FOX. 7 

spoke and said to the noise, l count ten,' and it made ten strokes 
or noises. Then I asked the ages of my different children suc- 
cessively, and it" gave a number of raps, corresponding to the 
ages of my children. 

" I then asked if it was a human being that was making the 
noise ? and if it was, to manifest it by the same noise. There 
was no noise. I then asked if it was a spirit ? and if it was, 
to manifest it by two sounds. I heard two sounds as soon as 
the words were spoken. I then asked, if it was an injured 
spirit ? if it was, to give me the sound, and I heard the rapping 
distinctly. I then asked if it was injured in this house ? and 
it manifested it by the noise. If the person was living that 
injured it ? and got the same answer. I then ascertained, by 
the same method, that its remains were buried under the dwell- 
ing and how old it was. When I asked how many years old 
it was? it rapped 31 times; and that it was a male; that it 
had left a family of five children ; that it had two sons and three 
daughters, all living. I asked if it left a wife ? and it rapped. 
If its wife was then living ? no rapping ; if she was dead % and 
the rapping was distinctly heard ; how long she had been dead ? 
and it rapped twice." 

Mrs. Fox, on the consent of the mysterious visitant, now 
called the neighbors. Mrs. Redfield, the nearest neighbor, was 
first called; and Mrs. Fox said to her, "Mrs. Redfield, what 
shall we do ? We have heard the noise for some time, and 
now it answers all our questions, and we cannot account for it." 

Mrs. Redfield heard the sounds, and asked the rapper various 
questions, which, greatly to her astonishment, it answered cor- 
rectly. She says the girls continued to be much frightened, 
and she told them not to be afraid ; if it was a revelation from 
the spirit world, it was not to injure them. 

Messrs. Redfield, Duesler, Hyde, Jewell, and their wives, 
were afterwards called, the same evening, and asked many 
questions, relating to the age, number of children, &c, of the 
persons present, and received correct replies. 

The noises were first heard in the day time, on Sunday, 



8 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS! 

April 2. Answers to questions had be*en given to several per- 
sons, intimating that a murder had been committed in the 
house, and that the body was buried in the cellar. The fol- 
lowing statement about this matter has been made by Mr. Wm. 
Duesler : 

" I went over again on Sunday, between one and two o'clock, 
P. M. I went into the cellar with several others, and had them 
all leave the house over our heads ; and then I asked, if there 
had been a man buried in that cellar, to manifest it by rap- 
ping, or any other noise or sign ? The moment I asked the 
questions, there was a sound like the falling of a stick, about 
a foot long and half an inch through, on the floor in the bed- 
room over our heads. It did not seem to bound at all ; there 
was but one sound. I then told Stephen Smith to go right up 
and examine the room, and see if he could discover the cause 
of the noise. He came back and said that he could discover 
nothing, — that there was no one in the room, or in that part 
of the house. I then asked two more questions, and it rapped 
in the usual way. We all then went up stairs and made a 
thorough search around the rooms, but could find nothing. 

" I then got a knife and fork and tried to see if I could 
make the same noise by dropping them, but I could not This 
was all I heard on Sunday. There is only one floor, or parti- 
tion, or thickness, between the bed-room and the cellar — no 
place where anything could be secreted to make the noise. 
When this noise was heard in the bed-room, I could feel a 
slight tremulous motion or jar. 

"There was some digging in the cellar on Saturday night. 
They dug until they come to water, and then gave it up. The 
question had been previously asked, whether it was right that 
they should dig on that night? and there was no rapping. 
Then, whether it was wrong? and the rapping was heard. 
Whether they should dig on Sunday ? no rapping ; on Mon- 
day? and the rapping commenced again. However, some 
insisted on digging at this time, and dug accordingly, but with 
no success. 

" On Monday night heard this noise again, and asked the 
same questions I did before, and got the same answers. This 
is the last time that I have heard the rapping. I can in no 



% 

STATEMENT OP MRS. EISH. 9 

way account for this singular noise, which I and others have 
heard. It is a mystery to me which I am wholly unable to 
solve. I am willing to testify under oath that I did not make 
the noises or rapping which I and others heard ; that I do not 
know of any person who did or could have made them ; that I 
have spent considerable time since then, in order to satisfy my- 
self as to the cause of it, but cannot account for it on any other 
ground than that it is supernatural. I lived in the same house 
about seven years ago, and at that time never heard any noises 
of the kind in and about the premises. ***** 

11 1 never believed in haunted houses, or heard or saw any 
thing but what I could account for before ; but this I cannot 
account for. . (Signed) Wm. Duesler. 

April 12, 1848." 

Most of the above facts are from a pamphlet, published at 
Canandaigua in 1848, by E. E. Lewis, which contains certifi- 
cates corroborating the foregoing statements, and signed by the 
following persons : 

" John D. Fox, Walter Scotten, Elizabeth Jewell, Lorren 
Tenney, James Bridger, Chauncey P. Losey, Benj. F. Clarke, 
Elizabeth Fox, Vernelia Culver, William D. Storer, Marvin 
P. Losey, David S. Fox, and Mary Redfield." 

These sounds were repeatedly and distinctly heard by per- 
sons who were examining the house, when every member of 
the Fox family was absent. 

The following brief statement in regard to the manner in 
which the use of the alphabet, in these communications, was 
ascertained, is signed by several "members of the family : 

" During the first inquiries to learn the name of the person 
who was represented as the injured spirit, it was asked if it 
would rap at the initials of his name. It rapped in the affirm- 
ative, and on calling over the letters, it rapped at the letters 
C. R. ; and at a subsequent period, David Fox, one of the 
family, spent several hours in communication with it, and 
learned the whole name; and afterwards Mrs. A. S. Fish 
learned that five successive raps were an indication, or signal, to 
repeat the alphabet, when questions were asked, to which a 
1* 



10 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS I 

simple negative or affirmative would not be a correct reply, 
without qualification. 

" It is thus that directions are now given in answer to ques- 
tions, and often it voluntarily calls by the signal for the alpha- 
bet and communicates entire sentences, many of them interest- 
ing, and of considerable length. 

Mrs. Ann L. Fish, 
Mrs. Margaret Fox, 
C. R. Brown, 
David S. Fox. 
Rochester, March 6th, 1850." 



ROCHESTER. 

In the latter part of the year 1848, a part of the Fox family 
removed from Hydesville to Rochester, and resided with an 
older sister, Mrs. Fish. The rappings were then heard in both 
places. Though for a time the mysterious messengers impar- 
tially entertained all who would lend an ear, they soon exhibit- 
ed a preference for the two youngest Fox girls, Margaretta 
and Catharine. The former was about fourteen years of age, 
and the latter about twelve, when the noises first commenced. 

Soon after the Misses Fox came to Rochester, the sounds 
attracted the attention of some friends of the family, to whom 
they related their experience ; but meeting with incredulity and 
ridicule, they did not make it public ; and refrained from con- 
versing on the subject, except with those who had witnessed 
the manifestations, or felt interested in them. 

The rapping, however, was not long confined to one family. 
It soon began to be heard in several other families, and some 
of the most respectable in the city. It was frequently heard 
when no one of the Fox family was present. In the family of 

Mr. G , a member of the M. E. Church, it evinced no 

partiality for any particular individual, until one of his daugh- 
ters was mesmerised and became clairvoyant. After this, the 
sounds could be heard only in her presence. 



PUBLIC INVESTIGATIONS. 11 

PUBLIC INVESTIGATIONS. 

We find the following in a candidly and well written pamph- 
let, published, by D. M. Dewey, at Rochester, in March, 1850, 
entitled, " History of the Strange Sounds or Rappings, <fcc." 
" Authorized Edition." In the preface the publisher says : — 

" He has had many opportunities of hearing the sounds, 
purporting to be made by spirits, and of witnessing numerous 
manifestations, which to him are wholly unaccountable. During 
one of his visits at the house in this city where the rapping 
and intelligence of the invisible agent have been most surpris- 
ing, he enquired of what purported to be ' the spirits,' if it 
would be proper for him to publish an account of the subject. 
The answer was in the affirmative." 

The investigations, an account of which follows, appear to 
be marked by candor and intelligence ; and they show that the 
mystery, whatever it is, is not easily detected. 

rt After nearly a year had been spent by a few individuals in 
Rochester and vicinity, in investigating the mystery, the follow- 
ing communication was spelled out in presence of several 
persons who had assembled for the purpose of prosecuting 
their investigations : * You all have a duty to perform. We 
want you to make this matter more public' Every individual 
to whom the message was addressed objected to having any 
agency in bringing the subject before the public. They knew 
the odium that would attach to any person who should attempt 
to prove, in the presence of a public assembly, that the sounds 
they heard were made by spirits. While speaking of the op- 
position they would incur, and the difficulties in the way, the 
alphabet was called for, and the following communication 
spelled out : ' That will be so much the better — your triumph 
will be the greater.' This occurrence took place in November, 
1849. 

" Several of the persons designated to assist in bringing the 
matter before the community, continued strongly to object, 
until the most positive assurances were given that the rapping 
should be heard in the hall, by the audience, in response to the 
lecturer, an4 that the result would tend essentially to the bet- 



12 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS: 

ter understanding of the whole subject. • The lectures were fi- 
nally delivered by Mr. E. W. C apron, of Auburn. 

"The following account of the investigations had at that 
time, appeared in the New York Weekly Tribune, of Dec. 
8th, 1849: 

" « Some two weeks since, we were in company with some 
persons who were getting communications from this invisible 
communicator, when a message was spelled out to us, to the 
import that the matter should be made more public — that the 
time had arrived for the people to investigate the whole affair 
• — that it was a thing which will ultimately become known to 
all men, and that we should immediately take measures to 
have it investigated. The directions were then minutely given 
by these spirits, as they purport to be, and which we are wil- 
ling to believe are, until we have as much proof to the contrary 
as it required to bring us to that conclusion. These directions 
will appear in the following history, as they were fully and 
strictly followed. The great object was, to start investigation, 
and clear those who had been hearing of it for the last two 
years from the imputation of fraud and deception. 

" * Accordingly, on the evening of November 14th, a lecture 
was delivered in Corinthian Hall, in the city of Rochester, and 
a full history of the rise and progress of these manifestations 
given. During the relations of these facts, the sounds were 
distinctly heard by the persons in the hall. 

" 'After the lecture, a committee was chosen by the audi- 
ence, composed of the following persons : — A. J. Combs, Dan- 
iel Marsh, Nathaniel Clarke, Esq., A. Judson, and Edwin Jones. 

" ' On the following evening the committee reported in sub- 
stance as follows: That without the knowledge of the per- 
sons in whose presence the manifestations are made, the com- 
mittee selected the hall of the Sons of Temperance for investi- 
gation — that the sound on the floor near where the two ladies 
stood, was heard as distinctly as at other places, and that part 
of the committee heard the rapping on the wall behind them — 
that a number of questions were asked which were answered, 
not altogether right nor altogether wrong — that in the after- 
noon they went to the house of a private citizen, and while 
there the sounds were heard on the outside (apparently) of the 
front door, after they had entered, and on the door of a closet. 



PUBLIC INVESTIGATIONS. 13 

By placing the hand upon the door, there was a sensible jar 
felt when the rapping was heard. One of the committee pla- 
ced one of his hands upon the feet of the ladies and the 
other on the floor, and though the feet were not moved, there 
was a distinct jar on the floor. On the pavement and on the 
ground the same sound was heard : a kind of double rap, as a 
stroke and a rebound, were distinguishable. When the ladies 
were separated at a distance, no sound was heard ; but when a 
third person was interposed between them, the sounds were 
heard. The ladies seemed to give every opportunity to the 
committee to investigate the cause fully, and would submit to 
a thorough investigation by a committee of ladies, if desired. 
They all agreed that the sounds were heard, but they entirely 
to discover any means by which it could be done. 
'After this report, and some discussion on the subject, the 
audience selected another committee, composed of the follow- 
ing persons : Dr. H. H. Langworthy, Hon. Frederick Whittle- 
sey, D. C. McCallum, William Fisher, of Rochester, and Hon. 
A. P. Hascall, of Le Roy. At the next lecture this committee 
reported that they went into the investigation at the office of 
Chancellor Whittlesey, and they heard the sound on the floor, 
on the wall, and door — that the ladies were placed in differ- 
ent positions, and, like the other committee, they were wholly 
unable to tell from what the sound proceeded, or how it was 
made — that Dr. Langworthy made observations with a stethe- 
scope to ascertain whether there was any movement with the 
lungs, and found not the least difference when the sounds were 
made ; and there was no kind of probability or possibility of 
their being made by ventriloquism, as some had supposed, 
and they could not have been made by machinery. 

" • This committee was composed of Dr. E. P. Langworthy, 
Dr. J. Gates, Wm. Fitzhugh, Esq., W. L. Burtis, and L. Ken- 
yon. This committee met at the rooms of Dr. Gates, at the 
Rochester House, and appointed a committee of ladies, who 
took the young women into a room, disrobed them, and ex- 
amined their persons and clothing, to be sure that there were 
no fixtures about them that could produce the sounds. When 
satisfied on this point, the committee of ladies tried some 
other experiments, and gave the young ladies the following 
certificate : 



14 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS I 

" ' When they were standing on the pillows, with a hand- 
kerchief tied around the bottom of their dresses, tight to the 
ankles, we all heard the rapping on the wall and floor dis- 
tinctly. (Signed,) Mrs. Stone, 

Mrs. J. Gates, 

Miss M. P. Lawrence. 

" ' In the evening the committee, through their chairman, 
Dr. Langworthy, made a very full report of their examinations 
during the day. They reported they excluded all friends of 
the two ladies from the committee room, and had the examina- 
tion only in presence of the committee of gentlemen and ladies 
chosen by them. Notwishstanding all this precaution, these 
sounds were heard when the ladies stood on large feather pil- 
lows, without shoes, and in various other positions, both on the 
floor and on the wall, — that a number of questions were asked, 
which, when answered, were generally correct. Each member 
of the committee reported separately, agreeing with and cor- 
roborating the first statements. 

" * Thus, by three days of the strictest scrutiny, by means of 
intelligence, candor, and science, were the persons in whose 
presence these sounds are heard, acquitted of all fraud. 

"'On Friday evening, after the lecture, three of the commit- 
tee, viz: Hon. A. P. Hascall, D. C. McCallum, and William 
Fisher, repaired to the house of a citizen, and pursued their 
investigations still further. There were nearly a score of per- 
sons present. The members of the committee wrote many 
questions on paper, which no person present knew the purport 
of, and they were answered correctly. At times they would 
ask mentally, and would receive the answers with equal cor- 
rectness, and they were fully satisfied that there was something 
present manifesting intelligence beyond the persons visible. 

" ' One of the committees tried the experiment of standing the 
ladies on glass, and failed to get any sounds ; but the same was 
subsequently tried in presence of a large number of persons, 
and the sounds were as loud and distinct as before, on the 
floor, as usual. 

u * Such are the facts so far as public proceedings are con- 
cerned, (which is but a small part of these strange occurrences,) 
with the committee's report greatly condensed. 

" ' Thus the matter stands at present, and whether it is a 



INVESTIGATIONS BY INDIVIDUALS. 15 

remarkable phenomenon which will pass away with the present 
generation, or with the persons who seem now to be the me- 
dium of this extraordinary communication ; or whether it be 
the commencement of a new era of spiritual influx into the 
world ; it is something worthy of the attention of men of can- 
dor and philosophy. 

E. W. C apron, Auburn. 
George Willets, Rochester. 

Rochester, Nov. 22, 1849.' 

" The committees named in the foregoing account are com- 
posed of some of the most intelligent men in the city of Ro- 
chester. They publicly reported they could not discover the 
cause of the rapping. These reports attracted attention. Can- 
did men began to think it was no ordinary humbug, if men 
like those who were appointed at the public meeting failed to 
detect it. 

" Since the public lectures, and the reports of the committees 
in Corinthian Hall, thousands have visited the family in Ro- 
chester, in whoso presence the rappings are heard most freely. 
Many theories are advanced to account for the sounds — but 
no one, up to the present time, can give any solution of the 
matter on natural principles. 

" Investigations are still going on, in the places where the 
rappings have recently commenced, as well as at the residences of 
those who have been accompanied by the sounds for a longer 
time. Some individuals in this city daily hear sounds, pur- 
porting to be made by spirits, but in consequence of the fear 
of ridicule, they communicate the fact only to a few friends." 



INVESTIGATIONS BY INDIVIDUALS. 
A great many intelligent individuals have taxed their ut- 
most ingenuity to discover the cause and philosophy of these 
mysterious manifestations ; and nearly all have been perplexed 
and confounded, and but few have been able to form any defi- 
nite opinion concerning them. None have been allowed as yet 
to look behind the curtain and gaze upon the form or forms of 
the invisible wonder-workers. Still they have promised, that 



16 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS: 

at some future day they will feast the greedy eyes of human 
vision with the exhibition of their mysterious personages. 

We will give a few specimens of individual experience and 
investigations. 

"We find the following in a pamphlet published at Auburn, 
N. Y., in January, 1850, by E. W. C apron and H. D. Ban-on, 
entitled l Explanation and History of the Mysterious Commu- 
nication with Spirits,' pp. 43, 44 : 

"Not long after it began to be heard by this [Mr. Fox's] 
family in Rochester, it began to be heard in other houses in 
the same city,, and among others, in the house of a Methodist 
clergyman, where the same sounds have continued from that 
tim^to this, as they have in other places and houses. The 
clergyman alluded to related in a public audience in the city of 
Rochester the following, which will serve to show the intelli- 
gence sometimes manifested by this sound, which so many deny 

being anything but an imposition. ' A Mr. P , a friend 

of mine from Loekport, had come from that place on business 
and put up with me. He told me that he had left at home a 
child sick. • I requested him to go to Mr. G-.'s to hear this 
' mysterious noise.' He went, and like many others, could not 
make up his mind what it was. In the morning he again went, 
when the spirit who was in communication with him, spelled 
out this sentence : ' Your child is dead! 1 Mr. P. immediately 
found Elder J., and although he as yet had not seen or heard 
enough to convince him of its reliability, he thought it his 
duty to start for home. 

" A short time after he started, Elder J. returned to his house, 
and his wife handed him a telegraphic communication from 
Loekport, which he opened and read as follows : ' Say to Mr. 
P., that his child is dead! P 

Thus did the tangible telegraph, operated by human hands, 
confirm- what some speedier telegraph had communicated near- 
ly three hours before. This is an account that can be fully re- 
lied on, and we have the names of the parties for such as shall 
question its truth. All who have investigated the matter to 
any great extent, have found testimony equally convincing." 

We quote further from the same work : 



INVESTIGATIONS BY INDIVIDUALS. 17 

" The following statement is taken from the private journal 
of one of the authors of this History : 

" « On the 23d of November, 1848, 1 went to the city of Ro- 
chester on business. I had previously made up my mind to 
investigate this so-called mystery, if I should have an oppor- 
tunity. In doing so, I had no doubt but what I possessed 
shrewdness enough to detect the trick, as I strongly suspected 
it to be, or discover the cause of the noise, if it should be un- 
known to the inmates of the house. 

" ' A friend of mine, whom I had long known as a skeptic in 
regard to any such wonders, invited me to go with him to hear 
it. I accepted the invitation with a feeling that was far from 
serious apprehension of communicating with anything beyond 
my power to discover. 

"'Before I heard the sound, we seated ourselves around a ta- 
ble. As soon as we got quiet, I heard a slight but distinct 
rapping on the floor, apparently on the under side. Although 
I concluded that such a sound might be made by machinery, I 
could see no possible motive in the family taking so much 
pains to deceive people, as they received nothing but annoy- 
ance and trouble in return for their pains. I proceeded to ask 
some questions and they were answered very freely and cor- 
rectly. I asked if it would rap my age ? It was done cor- 
rectly. I then took my memorandum book from my pocket, 
and wrote my questions, so that no other person could know 
the nature of my questions. I would write, ' rap four times ; 
rap one ; rap six ; rap seven ;' and to each and every such ques- 
tion I got a correct answer. I then laid aside my book and 
proceeded to ask similar test questions mentally, and as before, 
received correct answers. 

" ' I could not "believe that persons present had the power to 
discern my thoughts and make these sounds in answer, for the 
sounds have a peculiarity not easily imitated. To suppose this 
to be the case, would make the matter a still greater mystery. 
I knew they could not give those answers, for there were ques- 
tions answered which they could not know anything about. 

" ' At another time, I tried the experiment of counting, in the 
following manner : I took several shells from a card basket on 
the table, (small lake shells,) closed my hand and placed it un- 
der the table, entirely out of sight, and requested as many raps 



18 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS 5 

as there were shells. It was done correctly. As I knew how 
many shells there were in my hand, I resolved to test it in an- 
other way, to see if there was a possibility of my mind hav- 
ing any influence in the matter. I took a handful of shells, 
without knowing how many I took myself. Still the answers 
were correct. I then requested a friend who sat by the table, 
to put his hand in the basket, take out some shells, without 
knowing the number, and pass them into my hand, which I 
immediately closed and placed in a position where none could 
see it. The number was told as correctly as before. We con- 
tinued this class of experiments for a long time, without the 
least failure in getting correct answers.' 

" There could be no mistaking these tests. They could not 
be influenced by our minds, for we did not ourselves know 
what the answers should be. This places a quietus on its being 
anything governed by the minds of those asking questions or 
those who hear it most freely. The proofs of getting answers 
and correct ones to mental questions, and to thoughts where 
questions are not asked, is as plain as even the rapping itself." 
—pp. 58, 59. 



EXTEACTS FROM LETTERS. 
The following is from "the Rev. C. Hammond" to Mr. D. M. 
Dewey, publisher of the " History of the Strange Sounds," 

"On the third visit, I was selected from a half dozen gentle- 
men, and directed by these sounds to retire to another apart- 
ment, in company with the 'three sisters,' and their aged mo- 
ther. It was about eight o'clock in the evening. A lighted 
candle was placed on a large table, and we seated ourselves 
around it. I occupied one side of the table, the mother and 
youngest daughter the right, and two of the sisters the left, 
leaving the opposite side of the table vacant. On taking our 
positions, the sounds were heard, and continued to multply and 
become more violent, until every part of the room trembled 
with their demonstrations. They were unlike any I had heard 
before. Suddenly, as we were all resting on the table, I felt 
the side next to me move upward— I pressed upon it heavily, 



EXTRACTS OF LETTERS. 19 

but soon it passed out of the reach of us all — full six feet from 
me, and at least four from the nearest person to it. I saw dis- 
tinctly its position — not a thread could have connected it with 
any of the company without my notice, for I had come to de- 
tect imposition, if it could be found. In this position we were 
situated when the question was asked, ' Will the spirit move 
the table back where it was before ?' — And back it came, as 
though it were carried on the head of some one, who had not 
suited his position to a perfect equipoise, the balance being 
sometimes in favor of one side, and then the other. But it 
regained its first position. In the mean time the ' demonstra- 
tions' grew louder and louder. The family commenced and 
sung the 'spirit's song,' and several other pieces of sacred 
music, during which accurate time was marked on the table, 
causing it to vibrate — a transparent hand, resembling a shadow, 
presented itself before my face — I felt fingers taking hold of a 
lock of hair on the left side of my head, causing an inclination 
of several inches — then a cold, death-like hand was drawn de- 
signedly over my face — three gentle raps on my left knee — 
my right limb forcibly pulled, against strong resistance, under 
the table — a violent shaking, as though two hands were applied 
to my shoulders — myself and chair uplifted and moved back 
a few inches, and several slaps, as with a hand, on the side of 
my head, which were repeated on each one of the company, 
more rapid than I could count. During these manifestations, 
a piece of pasteboard, nearly a foot square, was swung with 
such velocity before us as to throw a strong current of air in 
our faces — a paper cm-tain attached to one of the windows was 
rolled up and unrolled twice — a lounge immediately behind me 
was shaken violently — two small drawers in a bureau, played 
back and forth with inconceivable rapidity — a sound resembling 
a man sawing boards, and planing them, was heard under the 
table — a common spinning-wheel seemed to be in motion, 
making a very natural buzz of the spindle — a reel articulated 
each knot wound upon it, while the sound of the rocking cradle 
indicated maternal care for the infant's slumbers. These were 
among many other demonstrations which I witnessed that eve- 
ning, amid which I felt a perfect self possession, and in no in- 
stance the slightest embarrassment, except a momentary chill 
when the cold hand was applied to my face, similar to a sensa- 



20 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS: 

tion I have realized when touching a dead body. That any of 
the company could have performed these things, under the 
circumstances in which we were situated, would require a 
greater stretch of credulity on my part, than it would to believe 
it was the work of spirits. It could not, by any possibility, 
have been done by them, nor even attempted, without detec- 
tion. And I may add, that near the close of the demonstra- 
tions at this visit, there was a vibration of the floor, as though 
several tons in weight had been uplifted and suddenly fallen 
again upon it. This caused everything in the room to shake 
most violently for several minutes, when the force was with- 
drawn. 

" I have also tested the intelligence of these spirits in every 
way my ingenuity could invent. On one occasion, I wrote a 
word on a slip of paper privately, placed it in my wallet, went 
there — and the sounds, through the alphabet, spelled that word 
correctly as I had written it. That word was ' Sibyl.* 

On the 20th of February, inst, the two youngest sisters 
made my family a visit. Here the sounds were heard — ques- 
tions involving subjects wholly unknown to them, were an- 
swered — a large heavy dining table was moved several times ; 
and on expressing thanks at the table to the Giver of all good, 
some six or eight sounds responded to every sentence I uttered, 
by making loud and distinct sounds in various parts of the 
room. Yours, truly, 

"Rochester, Feb. 22d, 1850. C. HAMMOND." 



From a letter written by one who has had many opportuni- 
ties of investigating the subject : 

"January 29th, 1850. 
" Dear Doctor B. : 

" I received your letter yesterday requesting me to furnish 
you some account of the mysterious rappings in the city of 
Rochester. 

********* 

11 1 had good reason to suppose that the task would be a dif- 
ficult one, and commenced it as I would have done a difficult 
problem in mathematics, determined that I would not be de- 
terred by any appearances of the supernatural, nor the jeers 
and < humbugs' of the material world. 



EXTRACTS OP LETTERS. 21 

" But I must be very brief in the detail of my experiments, 
and can only give you an item or two under the several heads 
of inquiry. This investigation was prosecuted at different times 
as I had leisure when in the city, and almost always in the 
presence and with the assistance of men of intelligence and 
integrity, among whom were physicians, lawyers and scientific 
men of Rochester and other places in Western New York, and 
from other states ; for this phenomenon has attracted many per- 
sons from a great distance and excited much interest in many 
places, and in other states, and this interest has so much in- 
creased of late that the crowd of persons who daily present 
themselves at the residence of the young ladies, prevent all 
opportunity of quiet and satisfactory efforts to solve the mys- 
tery. 

********* 

" They informed me, i We are spirits of deceased persons. 
We enter the spirit world just as we leave the body. Some 
good and some evil, The evil continue evil ; and the good, 
good ; and we are in a progressive state either way.' I had 
heard it stated, that certain sects were attempting to use these 
communications to sustain their peculiar views, and some to dis- 
prove the authority of the Holy Scriptures. This induced me 
to inquire, Do persons ever converse with evil spirits ? Answer 
in the affirmative. Have persons been deceived in that way ? 
Answer, They have. I might add much on this point, but my 
limits will not permit, and I would only say, that in my opinion, 
no well grounded facts have been elicited from this singular 
oracle to cast any suspicion even, on the Divine Oracles. How 
can we distinguish the evil from the good ? You must prove 
them. How prove them ? If they counsel that which your 
moral sense would determine to be wrong you must not follow 
it, and only converse with the spirits of persons in whom you 
had full confidence whilo in the body. Are spirits equal in 
knowledge ? They are not. We told you that we enter this 
state just as we leave the body. Do you mean that spirits are 
learned or ignorant as persons were when in this life ? We do. 
I had at several times received communications in which the 
words were misspelled, and persons sitting at the table made 
the remark : ' Well, I don't believe in spirits that can't spell 
right.' These remarks would cause some merriment, and at 



22 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS I 

one time the alphabet was called for by the usual signal, and 
the sentence spelled out : * You need not laugh at him. He 
never learned to spell.' How may we know what spirit we 
are conversing with ? You must inquire for the spirit of some 
deceased person and ask for its signal. Have all spirits their 
distinct and different signals, by which they may be known ? 
Answer in the affirmative. The signal consists of raps, varying 
in number, and emphasis, so that in hearing a great number of 
different signals called for by persons who were leading in the 
interrogatories, I never heard any two that were precisely alike. 
In asking questions which may be answered by the syllable 
yes, a rap or two is taken for an affirmative answer. This is 
generally so intended, I believe, but not always, as most persons 
suppose it to be. I have noticed, that a low and apparently 
hesitating rap should seldom be received as an absolute affirma- 
tive, and in such cases I have said, You do not answer me 
promptly, what am I to understand by the answer ? Doubtful. 
You did not mean an affirmative then, but doubtful ? Answer, 
Yes. Can spirits converse together ? Answer in the affirmative. 
Can one spirit instruct another spirit less intelligent ? Answer 
in the affirmative. Can spirits instantly change from one place 
to another ? Answer in the affirmative. Have spirits power 
over matter, to move or affect it ? They have. On being re- 
quested to give an evidence of such power, I have seen tables, 
chairs, bureaus, move at different places, and sometimes against 
the apparent efforts of several gentlemen : and in the day time, 
with the usual light and without anything to obstruct the sight. 
And sometimes the sounds which are produced by mechanics, 
in using different tools, such as a saw r , hammer, plane, chisel, <fcc, 
are very closely imitated — apparently on or about the table, 
around which the company is seated ; also the creaking of the 
timbers of a vessel, when laboring against the waves, in a storm 
at sea ; the working of the rigging, pumps, &c. These repre- 
sentations are usually made for persons that are familiar with 
such sounds and at their request. 

" At one time, when some of these sounds had been unusually 
loud, I inquired the object of them. The answer was, ' To con- 
vince you.' I said, ' You cannot be spirits, for according to my 
theory, spirits can pervade matter, and pass through it, but can 
not move it, and handle it, as this table has been moved.' Re- 



EXTRACTS OP LETTERS. 23 

ply. 'You were mistaken: we can and do affect matter at our 
will.' ' I have heard it said that you sometimes manifest your- 
selves to persons as by the touch of the hand, &c. Is it so V 
' It is.' ' But it is said that you make such manifestations in the 
dark only ; this leads to suspicions, with all the precaution that 
can be taken. Why not do this in the light ? ' ' Because, that 
in such manifestations we assume a material form, and it would 
frighten. We do not wish to alarm, but to convince.' These 
manifestations are often made on the feet of persons sitting 
around a table, in such a way that none of the company could 
do it without detection. 

"I said, 'You appear to be possessed of great intelligence: 
what is your mission ? ' 'To benefit mankind.' ' How so ? ' 
'By imparting important truths.' Why do you limit your 
communications to these persons, and by such a tedious pro- 
cess ? ' ' We do as we are permitted ; we are under the control 
of a higher power.' ' Will you always be thus limited ? ' ' We 
shall soon be permitted to converse through many persons, and 
in a different way.' ' Why not now ? ' ' The people are not yet 
prepared. But I must not enlarge, or I shall write a book 
instead of answering a letter. I have given you, after all, but 
a very imperfect sketch of this mysterious something. 

" These inquiries, as I before stated, have been prosecuted 
with the aid of gentlemen of science and skill, and moral integ- 
rity ; questions answered, and other manifestations made as be- 
fore described, in the presence of many persons, almost daily, 
for months, and yet no clue has been obtained to solve this 
wonderful enigma. You ask my opinion — I give you facts, 
and Yankee-like, instead of giving it I ask yours. 

" I will, however, give you some of the reasons offered against 
it by persons who have not investigated it at all, or but very 
superficially. And the first that I would name is, * it is a hum- 
bug.' This is a very common argument, and it is always used 
against any new thing. This argument is conclusive in the 
estimation of a great number of persons. But for those who 
will not be satisfied with that, it is argued that none but fana- 
tics and sceptics, and persons greatly gifted with the marvelous 
go there to investigate it This is often said in the very face 
and eyes of facts to the contrary. Another argument is, that 
it cannot be anything but a hoax, because it attends these 



24 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS! 

young girls, and not some great man. By these, many more 
persons are led to believe that it is some common place jugglery 
or slight of hand. But, after all, there are some minds that 
will not be satisfied without a learned and philosophical reason 
for it; and consequently, some of our learned professors have 
discovered the whole mystery in their studies. And it is all 
produced by a tremulous motion of the earth, caused by a 
waterfall in the neighborhood, or the mal-formation of the bones 
in a little girl's foot. Now, dear doctor, as you are an anato- 
mist, and scientific man, you are at liberty to choose which 
ever of the above arguments and theories you may think most 
compatible with the facts in the case. After you shall have 
had an opportunity to investigate this new wonder, we will 
compare notes, and perhaps be able to satisfy our own minds 
as to the cause of these singular appearances. 

Yours, respectfully, P ." 



FROM J. E. ROBINSON TO D. M. DEWEY : 

# * * u j^y attention was first called to the subject, I 
think, by Mr. Isaac Post, in the month of October, 1848, at 
which time Mrs. Fish was living with a young sister, on Pros- 
pect street. I had previously seen accounts of something of the 
kind which was said to have occurred at Hydesville, Wayne 
county, of this state, the former place of residence of Mr. John 
D. and Mrs. Margaret Fox, now of Arcadia ; but had consid- 
ered it, as most others did, the mere offspring of excited imagi- 
nation or a trick made up perhaps for the purpose of harmless 
deception. You may well suppose then that I sought an in- 
troduction to the singular mystery with no very credulous ear. 
I could not doubt the honesty of my friend Post, and from the 
reports which he gave of his experience thus far, I thought the 
contrivance must certainly be an ingenious one and well worth 
one's while to unravel. ******* 

" I have thus given to you, as briefly as possible, what you 
have asked me for. My convictions are the result of patient 
and honest investigation extending through a period of sixteen 
months. They are fixed — so far as the prime fact is con- 
cerned, that a communication exists between the inhabitants 



EXTRACTS OF LETTERS. 25 

of this * breathing world,' and a distinct order of intelligences 
invisible to the outward eye. If at any time I embrace an 
error I would thank him who should point it out and demon- 
strate the trnth. But mere argument, however ingenious, 
can never move my convictions on this subject. I have sub- 
mitted everything to the scrutiny of such power as God has 
given to the highest nature I possess., and know no better guide 
to lead me ; and any evidence which shall change my opinions 
must reach me through the same channel of the mind by which 
these convictions entered it. 

" Perhaps it would not be out of place, in this connection to 
state (what many are aware of) that the family to whom I 
have alluded as the ones in whose presence these manifesta- 
tions occur — although by no means the only ones — have in 
consequence of the circumstances, been subjects of much mis- 
representation, and in some instances, of serious wrong. This 
might have been expected at the hands of those who are ever 
ready to cast opprobium on individual character if it chance to 
be allied in any way to what to them is unaccountable, or can- 
not be made to serve their peculiar views and purposes. During 
my acquaintance with them I have never discovered the least 
ground for the justice of such charges. I have known them 
intimately nearly a year and a half, and some of my friends 
have been acquainted with them for many years. No one whose 
word I could rely upon has ever admitted to me the belief that 
any one of the family had been guilty of any serious departure 
from moral rectitude. I have uniformly been treated by them 
with courtesy and kindness; and they have, on all proper 
occasions, extended to me such facilities as were requisite to 
enable me to prosecute my inquiries. They make no preten- 
sions to what the world call piety, neither do they claim exemp- 
tion from the venial faults which exist more or less in all their 
fellow beings. Let him who is faultless ' cast the first stone' 
at his neighbor. Neither do they set up the false claim (which 
some exceedingly soft heads have imputed to them) that they, 
as individuals, are inspired, or have a mission from the Deity 
to this world. They are merely the passive media through 
whom these communications are made to us, from the world 
of spirits. 

" Recognizing then, as I do, — what to me is undeniable — 
2 



26 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS: 

that for some wise purpose, intelligences in another sphere of 
existence are permitted to communicate with us in this way : 
numberless questions have suggested themselves to my mind. 
As nothing important ever takes place in the wide realm of 
the universe unconnected with a purpose — what is the aim 
of this ? I answer — as I did involuntarily, in the first stage 
of my experience — to teach mankind that what they have 
been harboring as a shadow, but never known, is in truth a 
reality : that the interior man, the sentient being 

" That stirs within, and animates his clay," 

is immortal and never dies. This consideration, were there no 
others, is a sufficient one. But it is not to be supposed that 
we have yet been made acquainted with all the bearings which 
it is to have upon us and our welfare. If these spiritual beings 
are indeed what they purport to be — human spirits — our 
own kith and kind, who once walked with us on earth, and 
still sympathize with us; then, indeed, we maybe immensely 
benefitted by what they may unfold to us. That they are such, 
I have no positive evidence, and none sufficiently strong to 
warrant the assertion. It is somewhat difficult to identify them 
with our present aids and limited knowledge. The best we 
can do is, to judge for ourselves from the correspondences of 
things. If I converse with a spirit, and its language corres- 
ponds closely with the mind of that individual, as I knew it in 
this life — and particularly, if it alludes to occurrences known 
only to myself and it — I have an analogical evidence of its 
identity. On the other hand, if that spirit gives me a com- 
munication, the sentiment and structure of which are totally 
at variance with my perception of the individual thus personi- 
fied, I have the same kind of evidence (but no other) that I 
am deceived. Thus you will perceive my impression that 
spirits of various grades of intelligence and moral digiuity in 
the scale of being, are allowed the same power ; and those per- 
sons who seek intercourse with the good, need all the panoply 
of truth and sincerity to guard them from contact with the 
opposite." 

The following is an extract from a letter, published in the 
Havana Republican, of Feb. 6th, 1850: 

" I called on these ladies a few days since, in company with 



EXTRACTS OF LETTERS. 27 

a friend, for the purpose of testing the matter to my own satis- 
faction. After testing it in a variety of ways, I requested his 
ghostship to give me a display of his, her, or its powers, when 
a table, which was a very heavy one, commenced moving on the 
floor, and no individual touched or sat near it! 

" I have it from persons, in whose veracity I have the utmost 
confidence, and who have investigated the matter much further 
than myself, that these spirits have repeatedly manifested them- 
selves to them in a tangible manner ; that they have listened 
to the most exquisite music, played by spirit hands, upon the 
piano, guitar, &c. The individuals, in whose presence the 
sounds are heard, in this city, are all good clairvoyants, or easy 
subjects for mesmerism." 

E. W. Hazard, writes in the Binghampton Republican, 
under date of Rochester, Jan. 27, 1850 : 

* * * u "While I was at your place, the girls came to the 
"Waverly, and succeeded in making a strong impression on the 
minds of some, with whom I have conversed, that there was no 
trick in the matter. A Mr. Summerfield came with Judge 
Hascall, fromLe Roy, and held communications with the spiiits 
in a silent way, by taking the alphabet and pointing to letters, 
and in that way spelling out whatever the spirit wished to com- 
municate. I am told he asked his questions mentally, and it 
told him he had been to sea, had come near losing his life, and 
in the effort to save himself and child, lost his cap overboard. 
He said it was a minute relation of what had actually taken 
place. He and Judge Hascall had also some remarkable physi- 
cal demonstrations of a character to them entirely astounding, 
and under circumstances, I am told, where it excited no suspi- 
cion of collusion or trick." 

The editor of the New York Merchants Day Booh has 
also visited Rochester, and heard the rappings. The following 
extracts are from the Day Book of the 22d and 27th of 
February : 

" We have now stated all the facts as they appeared to us at 
the time. As for opinions, we do not assert that we have any 
upon the subject; our readers are as capable of judging as we 
are, and must form their own conclusions. The ' knocking ' 



28 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS: 

we heard and felt; the moving of the table we saw. Whether 
the girls are possessed of some mysterious power, by which 
they cause the rapping and the table and the chairs to move at 
will, we know not. There may be such a thing as an electro- 
magnetic influence at work, of which we know nothing. If the 
girls possess the power of producing these mysterious sounds, 
and moving things without using physical force, we are satis- 
fied that they do not know it. One of them is only 12 years 
of age, and evidently has no more conception of the rapping 
than a canary bird. The other is a young lady, apparently 17 
or 18 years old; her manners are rather prepossessing, and 
although not decidedly a beauty, she has a mild and gentle ex- 
pression of countenance, a face indicative of no superior cun- 
ning or shrewdness, but, on the contrary, one that any person 
at all acquainted with human nature would pronounce artless 
and innocent. It would be more difficult for us to believe 
that either of the two girls sitting before us were practicing 
deception, and trying to humbug us, than to believe that the 
knocking was supernatural. The youngest one, in fact, ap- 
peared innocent of even a suspicion that she had any agency in 
it, and with that earnest simplicity peculiar to children, ex- 
pressed a wish that it ivould do something just to let me see 
how strange it acted sometimes, and went on to relate in a 
hurried manner — when we were leaving — bow it sometimes 
took the books off the table and piled them up in her lap, how 
it drew out the piano and played tunes, &c. These performan- 
ces we subsequently heard related by others who had seen 
them, and who had no doubt of the perfect ignorance of the 
girls as to the cause. Scientific men may be able to explain 
the phenomenon; we cannot. In justice to the family, we 
must acquit the girls of any attempt to impose upon the pub- 
lic — in truth, they are the most imposed upon by the public — 
and when we see published statements of their trickery and 
deception, we do not hesitate to pronounce the authors of them 
liars." 

The following is a brief statement of the experience and in- 
vestigations relative to this matter, by Phineas A. Smith, pub- 
lished by himself in a pamphlet entitled " Every Body's Book," 
pp. 85 to 89. 



STATEMENT OF PHINEAS A. SMITH. 29 

* * * * * * uj saw maI1 y w h professed 
to have witnessed these strange manifestations, such as moving 
tables, chairs, books, &c, but who could not account for it. I 
laughed at them, because I was satisfied it could not be from 
any good source, from the fact that it purported to be from the 
spirits of the dead. If the bible was true, I knew that could 
not be. Consequently I felt safe in ridiculing it. 

"After a while, the rapping was said to be in different fami- 
lies in the city, and numbers of respectable persons obtained 
permission to investigate the matter. The excitement became 
intense throughout the city. I made one more effort to get 
access to these interviews, and witness the mystery for myself. 
Through the influence of an acquaintance, (who believed that 
these communications were from God,) I finally succeeded. 

4< The first interview I had was at Mr. Granger's, on Canal 
street. I do not recollect the exact number present ; but I 
think there were from fifteen to twenty, and most of them were 
old acquaintances, some of whom I had been associated with 
in church capacity for years; therefore I felt perfectly free to 
investigate the matter to my satisfaction. 

"After sitting awhile, and seeing different ones of the com- 
pany succeed in obtaining answers to their questions, through 
these raps, from what purported to be the spirits of their rela- 
tives — perhaps a child or wife — I requested to know whether 
I had guardian spirits present. The answer was, that I had. 
I asked if I could have the privilege of communicating with 
them. The reply was, yes. 

" But some may be anxious to know how the answers are 
obtained. I will tell you in short. I ask the question, Is the 
spirit of my brother here ? There are heard immediately three 
raps in succession on the floor. That means yes. If it wants 
to answer no, it does not rap. The question is put in this way : 
Is not the spirit of my brother here ? If it raps, you see the 
answer is no. At other times, you commence with the first 
letter of the alphabet, and continue until you come to the first 
letter that is to be noticed ; then the rapping commences. You 
write the letter down, and continue on so until you get a sen- 
tence. This is one way it communicates to those that converse 
with it 

u I commenced by asking the name of the pretended relative 



SO MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS: 

that was conversing with me. So I began with the alphabet, 
and it rapped to different letters that I called out. I wrote 
each down until they spelt ' Your brother Anson and sister 
Amelia.' It is a fact that I have lost a brother and sister with 
these names. They seemed to have great solicitude for my 
welfare, and said I was wrong in my view of the scriptures, 
but admitted that I was sincere and believed what I professed. 

" I asked many questions about the bible, and the answers 
received were invariably against a plain, literal understanding 
of it. Every thing was left in a mysterious, spiritual, foggy 
manner, but very near as the orthodox believe and teach in 
regard to the immortality of the soul, and the intermediate 
state and future rewards and punishments. The greater part 
of those present the first evening were professors, and believed 
very near the same. 

"After having received answers to all the questions of that 
kind I wished to ask that evening, I asked if it would show its 
physical strength, by moving the table around which we all 
sat. The answer was, yes; and immediately the table, which 
was a very large one, began to move towards me, and all mo- 
ved away from it. The table moved some eighteen inches. I 
asked if it would move back. It moved back as far the other 
way. 

" The meeting broke up, and I was requested to attend the 
Monday evening succeeding. I improved the opportunity, and 
was determined to come to some conclusion in the matter, 
although I was nearly satisfied the first evening as to what it 
was, but wished to try a few more experiments. I consequently 
started early, so as to be there with the first that should enter 
the room. I accompanied two individuals into the room when 
the light was carried in. 

" I noticed every move, to see if the table was put in the 
same place, and also to observe if there appeared to be any 
pains taken to put the table in any other place; but every thing 
appeared natural. The table was taken from the side of the 
room, and placed carelessly on the floor, without particular ref- 
erence to locality, and the light placed upon it. All appeared 
right. 

" When the company had mostly arrived, the interview was 
opened with prayer. Every thing appeared to be solemn. 



STATEMENT OF FHINEAS A. SMITH. 31 

Mr. Granger commenced the interview by asking the question, 
'Is the spirit present?' Three raps were immediately heard 
on the lioor. The next question he asked was, ' Will the spirit 
communicate with us this evening ? ' Three raps again. The 
next was, ' Shall we take the alphabet and see who you wish 
to communicate with ? ' Three raps again. He commenced 
with A, and the first letter it rapped to was P ; the next H ; 
the next I ; and so on until it spelt Phineas, which is my Chris- 
tian name. 

" 1 commenced by asking who it was. It answered, ' Your 
brother Anson.' I had my questions all arranged, and com- 
menced on the subject of the bible, until it crossed its own 
track, and denied the future resurrection, and said that all the 
resurrection there was, is at death. That might do for a Swe- 
denborgian, but not for me. It said the righteous went to 
heaven at death, and the wicked to a place of misery ; that all 
had immortal souls, &c. 

"After I was through with my questions on the bible, I asked 
if my mother was well. There was no answer. I asked if she 
was sick. No answer. I asked if she was dead, and there 
was a rap, implying that she was. But it was a grand mistake. 

"A question was asked by a person present — a skeptic — 
if Jesus Christ was a proper object for divine worship. It an- 
swered no. This was a hard one for those that belonged to 
the Methodist church, who thought these developments were 
all of God. 

" I wished once more to test the moving of the table, as some 
supposed I must have been humbugged at the former interview, 
and that some one had put their foot against the table and mo- 
ved it. Therefore I was prepared to detect any such attempt. I 
requested the spirit to let me hold the table, and then move it, 
so that I might see how much power there was attached to it. 
I took hold of the table with both hands, and then asked the 
spirit to move it. It did so, and my holding on had as little 
impression as though no one was holding it. It moved from 
me about eighteen inches. I then braced myself against it, 
and requested it to move towards me, and so it moved, as 
though there had been nothing in the way to impede its pro- 
gress. I know that no human being could have placed him- 
self against that table without being discovered ; from the fact 



32 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS! 

that there were skeptical persons sitting at different points 
around the table, and who were on the lookout to discover 
deception. 

« I then held my hand about six inches above the table, and 
said, ' Will the spirit raise the table from the floor ? ' and up 
it came ! When it fell, the house jarred, the table being quite 
a large one. I could in conscience go no farther. I was per- 
fectly satisfied where the deception lay. Those who believed 
it to be what it professed, acted as though they thought I was 
becoming a believer too. 

"I could keep them in suspense no longer. Therefore I 
frankly told them I was perfectly satisfied in regard to the mat- 
ter, and would not implicate any one present in carrying out a* 
deception knowingly; but I must say I thought they were 
very much deceived. I then gave them my reasons, which are 
as follows: In John v. 31, it reads, ' If I bear witness of my- 
self, my witness is not true.' This the Savior says of himself. 
This spirit, which is invisible, tells us it is the spirit of some 
of our friends. This is its own testimony. If there is nothing 
to corroborate it in the bible, I am not bound to receive it 
But the bible says, ' The dead know not any thing.' The bible 
is against it. I am bound to reject it. * But though we or an 
angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that 
which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.' Gal. 
i. 8. This spirit does teach another gospel from what Paul 
taught, for Paul says the dead will be raised, and rests the 
whole salvation of man on that doctrine." 

The following is from the Advent Harbinger for Jan. 27th, 
1849: 

"FAMILIAR SPIRITS. 

"MYSTERIOUS KNOCKING — A STRONG DELUSION. 

" A mysterious knocking is attracting the attention of many 
of the respectable people of this city and other places. It pur- 
ports to be made by the spirits of the dead. It answers various 
questions by a gentle rapping. In the same manner it warns 
of danger those whom it attends. Its veracity and ability has 
been tested by committees, and individuals of science and 
skill; and no deception, to our knowledge, has yet been de- 



FAMILIAR SPIRITS. 33 

tected by them. It is said to perform wonders : such as mov- 
ing chairs, tables and other furniture about the room, taking 
crockery off the table, and various other unaccountable acts, 
by its invisible power. 

" It commenced somewhere in Wayne county, professing to 
be the spirit of a murdered pedlar. It was conducted to this 
city by one with whom it became familiar, and has since mul- 
tiplied into many spirits; or, in other words, by its agency 
very many who have consulted it, have had the spirits, as they 
have been told, of their departed friends called up, and which 
now daily and nightly accompany, and by their rapping hold 
frequent converse with, them. 

***** * 

" In this city, we are told, that frequent if not stated meetings 
are held, to hold converse with, and witness the wonderful 
acts of, these invisible agents. Ministers, deacons, church 
members, and persons of wealth and high respectability, at- 
tend, and are converts to this mysterious knocking. 

" It professes to be a warm friend of religion, and to have 
come to counteract infidelity, and confirm the truths of the 
Bible ; and is very fond of religious devotion. It has rapped 
its approbation of all the fundamental doctrines of the pro- 
testant church, especially those opposed to the mortality of the 
soul, the destruction of the wicked, and the personal and near 
coming of Christf 

" It promises to unite Christians under a new dispensation, 
which will bring in the millennial glory for which the church 
has so long prayed. 

*'This imperfect sketch is all we can now give of this mys- 
terious affair. The natural inquiry will be, What is it ? The 
question we will endeavour to answer. And, 

"1. We think it is not the deceptive work of human 
agency. We thus judge, not so much from the fact that the 
most critical investigations have failed in detecting any decep- 
tion, but from the character of its work, viz. : it goes with, 
and performs its work for, simple and honest-hearted persons, 
who know nothing about practising any such deceptions on 
themselves or others. 

" 2. It cannot be the work of the spirits of the dead, because 
the Bible says, « The dead know not any thing ' — and ' there 
2* 



34 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS: 

is no device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave/ 
Eccl. ix. 5, 10. 

" 3. It cannot be the Spirit of the Lord, or good angels 
ministering unto certain ones, from the fact that it professes to 
be something else : and the Spirit of God, and good angels, 
would not lie. This spirit, or these spirits have lied : for in 
an examination which we recently made of its ability to know, 
we detected it in several palpable falsehoods. It did not tell, 
according to agreement, the correct number of my brothers 
which are dead, neither my own age ; and failed in performing, 
according to promise, its e££m-wonders, to convince me of its 
truth, if I would come and test it; therefore, it cannot be a 
good spirit, for a good spirit will not lie. •*" 

"What then is it? We unhesitatingly answer, a '•Familiar 
Spirit, 1 or spirit of the devil. We thus judge from the fact, — 

"1. That it contradicts the Bible, in regard to its funda- 
mental doctrines ; as, the nature of the soul and the state of the 
dead, as we have already shown. 

" 2. Because it does not always tell the truth. This is cha- 
racteristic of the devil, the father of lies. 

"3. It sustains the very character of the familiar spirits 
named in the Bible, as the following text will show. Isa. xxix. 4 : 
i And thou shalt be brought down, and shait speak out of the 
ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy 
voice shall be as of one that hath a, familiar spirit out of the 
ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust ;' or 
* peep or chirp, 1 as the margin reads; or gently rap, as the 
familiar spirits of which we are speaking do. No one can fail 
in seeing the identity of this ' low rapping spirit, and the 
low whispering or peeping spirit named in this text. The one 
in the text was a '•familiar spirit ; ' so is the other ; as every 
one acquainted with its operations will testify ; that is, it is very 
familiar or free to converse in its low rapping manner, with 
all who consult it. 

" That such familiar spirits are recognized and condemned 
by the Bible, the following passages will show. Lev. xx. 27 : 
1 A man also, or woman, that hath a familiar spirit, shall 
surety be put to death.' 1 Sam. xxviii. 6-8 : ' And when Saul 
inquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by 
dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. Then said Saul unto 



FAMILIAR SPIRITS. 35 

his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, 
that I may go unto her, and inquire of her. And his servants 
said to hm, Beheld, there is a woman that hath a familiar 

spirit at En-Dor And he said, I pray thee divine unto 

me by the familiar spirit' Poor, fallen man; when forsaken 
by God, he fills up the cup of his iniquity by consulting a 
familiar spirit ! For it is said, ' So Saul died for his transgres- 
sion which he committed against the Lord, even against the 
word of the Lord, which he kept not, and also for asking 
counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to inquire of it.' 
1 Chron. x. 13. 

"2 Chron. xxiii. 6-11. Here we are told that Manasseh 
was taken by the king of Babylon, and carried a captive to 
that city, because he ' used enchantments, and used witchcraft, 
and dealt with a familiar spirit,' and because of the commission 
of other sins. See also 2 Kings, xxi. 1-1 o. 

"Lev. xix. 13: 'Regard not them that have familiar 
spirits' Why ? Because the ' soul that turneth after such as 
have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after 
them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut 
him off from among his people,' saith the Lord. Lev. xx. 6. 

"Deut. xviii. 10-12 : ' There shall not be found among you 
any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through 
the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or 
an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a considter with 
familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that 
do these things are an abomination .junto the Lord ; and be- 
cause of these abominations,' the Lord God destroyed the 
Canaanites. 

" A ' necromancer ' we understand to be one who^ pretends 
to hold converse with departed spirits [see Webster], and a 
' consulter with familiar spirits, 1 about the same. And ac- 
cording to the word of the Lord, they are an abomination unto 
him. 

" 2 Kings xxiii. 24: 'Moreover, the workers wilh familiar 
spirits, 7 and ' all the abominations that were spied in the 
land of Judah and Jerusalem, did Josiah put away.' 

"Isa. viii. 19, 20: 'And when they shall say unto you, 
Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto "wizards 
that peep and mutter ; should not a people seek unto their 



36 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS I 

God ? for the living to the dead ? To the law and to the 
testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is be- 
cause there is no light in them.' * 

" This testimony is conclusive : If they consult these peep- 
ing, muttering, whispering or knocking, or rapping, familiar 
sp)irits, instead of seeking God, according to the ' law and 
the testimony,* l \t is because there is NO LIGHT IN THEM.' 

" Beware of this fatal delusion. It doubtless is a snare of 
the devil, laid, in these last days, to deceive the children of 
God, and more effectually blind the sinner to the destruction 
to which he is rapidly hastening. There is safety in God 
and his word, and nowhere else. We therefore ' commend 
you to Him, and the word of his grace, which is able to build 
you up, and give you an inheritance among all them which 
are sanctified.' Acts xx. 32." 



SPREAD OF THE RAPPINGS TO OTHER PLACES. 

These mysterious manifestations became so notorious at Ro- 
chester, that they received the name of the " Rochester Knock- 
ings." But they were not long confined to Hydesville and 
Rocherter. Some time in 1849, one of the Fox girls went to 
Auburn, N. Y., and while there the noises were heard in her 
presence — the first time they were heard in that place. They 
soon spread rapidly and widely into many other places, in this 
State, in the Eastern States, in the Western States, and in 
Canada; and they are still extending themselves in all parts 
of our country, exciting wonder, and defying the power of sci- 
ence to detect their cause. Some have guessed that they have 
discovered the secret in one thing or another ; but the invisible 
magicians have soon exploded their theories, and drawn to 
themselves increased admiration and patronage by the exhibi- 
tion of some new and more astounding feats. We will notice 
these theories further in another place. We will now show 
by credible testimony that this mystery is 



NOT A NEW THING. 37 

NOT A NEW THING. 

Much evidence might be produced to show that similar phe- 
nomena have often been witnessed before our day, though not 
so extensive, nor so varied in their development. We will give 
a few cases, as examples. The first we will notice is, that in 
the family of Mr. John Wesley's father, which was very similar 
to those now witnessed. 

NARRATIVE DRAWN UP BY MR. JOHN WESLEY, AND PUBLISHED 
BY HIM IN THE ARMINIAN MAGAZINE. 

" When I was very young, I heard several letters read, wrote 
to my elder brother by my father, giving an account of strange 
disturbances, which were in his house at Epworth, Lincoln- 
shire. 

"When I went down thither, in the year 1720, 1 carefully 
inquired into the particulars. I spoke to each of the persons 
who were then in the house, and took down what each could 
testify, of his or her own knowledge, the sum of which was 
this: — 

" On December 2nd, 1716, while Robert Brown, my father's 
servant, was setting with one of the maids, a little before ten at 
night, in the dining room, which opened into the garden, they 
both heard one knocking at the door. Quickly it knocked 
again, and groaned. ' It is Mr. Turpine,' said Robert ; ' he 
has the stone, and used to groan so.' He opened the door 
again twice or thrice, the knocking being twice or thrice re- 
peated ; but still seeing nothing, and being a little startled, they 
rose and went up to bed. When Robert came to the top of 
the garret stairs, he saw a hand-mill, which was at a little dis- 
tance, whirled about very swiftly. The next day, he and the 
maid related these things to the other maid, who laughed heart- 
ily, and said : ' What a couple of fools you are ! I defy any- 
thing to fright me.' After churning in the evening, she put 
the butter in the tray, and had no sooner carried it into the 
dairy, than she heard a knocking on the shelf, where several 
puncheons of milk stood, first above the shelf, then below. 
She took the candle, and searched both above and below ; but 
being able to find nothing, threw down butter, tray and all, and 



38 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS: 

ran away for life. The next evening, between five and six 
o'clock, my sister Molly, then about twenty years of age, sitting 
in the dining-room reading, heard, as if it were, the door that 
led into the hall, open, and a person walking in, that seemed 
to have on a silk night-gown, rustling and trailing along. It 
seemed to walk around her, then to the door, then round again ; 
but she could see nothing. She thought, * It signified nothing 
to run away ; for, whatever it is, it can run faster than me.' 
So she rose, put her book under her arm, and walked slowly 
away. After supper, she was sitting with my sister Sukey, 
(about a year older than her,) in one of the chambers, and tell- 
ing her what had happened. She made quite light of it, tell- 
ing her, ' I wonder you are so easily frightened ; I would fain 
see what would fright me.' Presently a knocking began under 
the table. She took the candle and looked, but could find 
nothing. Then the iron casement began to clatter, and the lid 
of a warming-pan. Next the latch of the door moved up and 
down without ceasing. She started up, leaped into the bed 
without undressing, pulled the bed-clothes over her head, and 
never ventured to look up till next morning. A night or two 
after, my sister Hetty, a year younger than my sister Molly, 
was waiting, as usual, between nine and ten, to take away my 
father's candle, when she heard one coming down the garret 
stairs, walking slowly by her, then going down the best stairs, 
then up the back stairs, and up the garret stairs ; at every step 
it seemed the house shook from top to bottom. Just then my 
father knocked. She went in, took his candle, and got to bed 
as soon as possible. In the morning she told this to my eldest 
sister, who told her, ' You know I believe none of these things ; 
pray let me take away the candle to-night, and I will find out 
the trick.' She accordiugly took my sister Hetty's place, and 
had no sooner taken away the candle than she heard a noise 
below. She hastened down stairs to the hall, where the noise 
was ; but it was then in the kitchen. She ran into the kitchen, 
where it was drumming on the inside of the screen. When "she 
went round, it was drumming on the outside ; and so always 
on the side opposite to her. Then she heard a knocking at the 
baok kitchen door. She ran to it, unlocked it softly, and when 
the knocking was repeated, suddenly opened it; but nothing 
was to be seen. As soon as she had shut it, the knocking began 



NOT A NEW THING. 39 

- again. She opened it again, but could &ee nothing. When 
she wnet to shut the door, it was violently thrust against her ; 
she let it fly open, but nothing appeared. She went again to 
shut it, and it was again thrust against her ; but she set her 
knee and her shoulder to the door, forced it to, and turned the 
key. Then the knocking began again; but she let it go on, 
and went up to bed. However, from that time she was 
thoroughly convinced that there was no imposture in the affair. 

" The next morning, my sister telling my mother what had 
happened, she said, ' If I hear anything myself, I shall . know 
how to judge.' Soon after, she begged her to come into the 
nursery. She did, and heard in the corner of the room, as it 
were, the violent rocking of a cradle ; but no cradle had been 
there for some years. She was convinced it was preternatural, 
and earnestly prayed it might not disturb her in her own 
chamber at the hours of retirement; and it never did. She 
now thought it was proper to tell my father. But he was ex- 
tremely angry, and said : * Sukey, I am ashamed of you ; these 
boys and girls frighten one another ; but you are a woman of 
sense, and should know better. Let me hear of it no more.' 

"At six in the evening, he had family prayers, as usual, 
When he began the prayer for the king, a knocking began all 
around the room ; and a thundering knock attended the amen. 
The same was heard, from this time, every morning and even- 
ing, while the prayer for the king was repeated. 

" Being informed that Mr. Hoole, the vicar of Haxley, (an 
eminently pious and sensible man,) could give me some further 
information, I walked over to him. He said ' Robert Brown 
came "Over to me, and told me your father desired my company. 
When I came he gave me an account of all that had happened ; 
particularly the knocking during family prayer. But that eve- 
ning (to my great satisfaction) we had no knocking at all. But 
between nine and ten a servant came in, and said ' Old Jeffrey 
is coming, (that was the name of one that died in the house,) 
for I hear the signal.' This, they informed me, was heard 
every night about a quarter before ten. It was toward the 
top of the house, on the outside, at the north-east corner, 
resembling the loud creaking of a saw; or rather that of a 
wind-mill, when the body of it is turned about, in order to shift 
the sails to the wind. We then heard a knocking over our 



40 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS! 

heads ; and Mr. Wesley, catching up a candle, said, ' come, sir, 
now you shall hear for yourself.' We -went up stairs ; he with 
much hope, and I, to say the truth, with much fear. When we 
came into the nursery, it was knocking in the next room ; when 
we were there it was knocking in the nursery. And there it 
continued to knock, though we came in, particularly at the 
head of the bed, (which was of wood,) in which Miss Hetty 
and two of her younger sisters lay. Mr. Wesley, observing 
that they were much affected, though asleep, sweating and 
trembling exceedingly, was very angry ; and, pulling out a pis- 
tol, was going to fire at the place from whence the sound came. 
But I catched him by the arm, and said, ' Sir, you are con- 
vinced this is something preternatural. If so, you cannot hurt 
it ; but you give it power to hurt you.' He then went close to 
the place, and said sternly, ' Thou deaf and dumb devil, why 
dost thou fright these children, that cannot answer for them- 
selves ? Come to me in my study, that am a man.' Instantly 
it knocked his knock, (the particular knock which he always 
used at the gate), as if it would shiver the board in pieces, and 
we heard nothing more that night' Till this time my father 
had never heard the least disturbance in his stndy. But the 
next evening, as he attempted to go into his study, (of which 
none had any key but himself), when he opened the door, it 
was thrust back with such violence as had like to have thrown 
him down. However, he thrust the door open, and went in. 
Presently there was knocking, first on one side, then on the 
other ; and, after a time, in the next room, wherein my sister 
Nancy was. He went into that room, and (the noise con- 
tinuing) adjured it to speak; but in vain. He then said, 
' These spirits love darkness; put out the candle, and perhaps 
it will speak.' She did so, and he repeated his adjuration; 
but still there was only knocking, and no articulate sound. 
Upon this he said, ' Nancy, two christians are an overmatch 
for the devil. Go all of you down stairs; it may be, when I 
am alone, he will have courage to speak.' When she was 
gone, a thought came in, and he said, ' If thou art the spirit 
of my son Samuel, I pray knock three knocks, and no more.' 
Immediately all was silence ; and there was no more knocking 
at all that night. I asked my sister Nancy (then about fifteen 
years old) whether she was not afraid when my father used 



NOT A NEW THING. 41 

that adjuration ? She answered she was sadly afraid it would 
speak when she put out the candle; but she was not at all 
afraid in the day time, when it walked after her as she swept 
the chambers, as it constantly did, and seemed to sweep after 
her; only she thought it might have done it for her, and saved 
her the trouble. By this time, all my sisters were so accus- 
tomed to these noises, that they gave them little disturbance. 
A gentle tapping at their bed-head usually began between nine 
and ten at night. They then commonly said to each other, 
* Jeffrey is coming ; it is time to go to sleep.' And if they 
heard a noise in the day, and said to my youngest sister, 
' Hark, Kezzy, Jeffrey is knocking above," she would run up 
stairs, and pursue it from room to room, saying she desired no 
better diversion. 

" A few nights after, my father and mother were just gone 
to bed, and the candle was not taken away, when they heard 
three blows, and a second, and a third three, as it were with 
a large oaken staff, struck upon a chest which stood by the 
bed-side. My father immediately arose, put on his night-gown, 
and hearing great noises below, took the candle and went 
down ; my mother walked by his side. As they went down 
the broad stairs, they heard as if a vessel full of silver was 
poured upon my mother's breast, and ran jingling down to her 
feet. Quickly after there was a sound, as if a large iron ball 
was thrown among many bottles under the stairs ; but nothing 
was hurt. Soon after, our large mastiff' dog came and ran to 
shelter himself between them. While the disturbance con- 
tinued, he used to bark and leap, and snap on one side and the 
other, and that frequently before any person in the room heard 
any noise at all. But after two or three days he used to 
tremble, and creep away before the noise began. And by this, 
the family knew it was at hand ; nor did the observation ever 
fail. A little before my father and mother came into the hall, 
it seemed as if a very large coal was violently thrown upon the 
floor, and dashed all in pieces; but nothing was seen. My 
father then cried out, 'Sukey, do you not hear? All the 
pewter is thrown about the kitchen.' But when they looked, 
all the pewter stood in its place. Then there was a loud 
knocking at the back door. My father opened it, but saw 
nothing. It was then at the fore door. He opened that, but 



42 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS: 

it was still lost labor. After opening first the one, then the 
other, several times, he turned and went up to bed. But the 
noises were so violent all over the house, that they could not 
sleep till four in the morning. 

" Several gentlemen and clergymen now earnestly advised 
my father to quit the house. But he constantly answered, 
• No ; let the devil* flee from me ; I will never flee from the 
devil.' But he wrote to my elder brother, at London, to come 
down. He was preparing so to do, when another letter came, 
informing him the disturbances were over, after they had con- 
tinued, the latter part of the time, day and night, from the 
second of December to the end of January." 

Many interesting statements are made in a work entitled 
the " Seeress of Prevorst," which contains the experience of 
Madam Hauffe, of Prevorst, in Wirtemburg. 

The following is an extract from her statement : 

"Unfortunately, my life is now so constituted, that my soul, 
as well as my spirit, sees into the spiritual world — which is, 
however, indeed upon the earth; and I see them, not only 
singly, but frequently, in multitudes, and of different kinds; 
and many departed souls. 

u I see many with whom I come into no approximation, 
and others who come to me, with whom I converse, and who 
remain near me for months; I see them at various times, by 
day and night, whether I am alone, or in company. I am 
perfectly awake at the time, and am not sensible of any cir- 
cumstance or sensation that calls them up. I see them alike, 
whether I am strong or weak, plethoric, or in a state of in- 
anition, glad or sorrowful, amused, or otherwise; and I cannot 
dismiss them. Not that they are always with me, but they 
come at their own pleasure, like mortal visitors, and equally 
whether I am in a spiritual or corporeal state at the time. 
When I am in my calmest and most healthy sleep, they awake 
me; I know not how, but I feel that I am awakened by them, 
and that I should have slept on, had they not come to my 
bedside. I observe frequently, that, when a ghost visits me 
by night, those who sleep in the same room with me, are, by 
their dreams, made aware of its presence; they speak after- 



NOT A NEW THING. 43 

wards of the apparition they saw in their dream, though I 
have not breathed a syllable on the subject to them. Whilst 
the ghosts are with me, 1 see and hear everything around me 
as usual, and can think of other subjects ; and though I can 
avert my eyes from them, it is difficult for me to do it; I feel 
in a sort of magnetic rcyoport with them. They appear to me 
like a thin cloud that one could see through, which, however, 
I cannot do. I never observed that they threw any shadow. 
I see them more clearly by sun or moonlight than in the dark ; 
but whetner I could see them in absolute darkness I do not 
know. If any object comes between me and them, they are 
hidden from me. I cannot see them with closed eyes, nor 
when I turn my face from them ; but I am so sensible of their 
presence, that I could designate the exact spot they are stand- 
ing upon; and I can hear them speak, although I stop my 
ears. * * * The forms of the good spirits appear bright ; 
those of the evil, dusky. 

"Their gait is like the gait of the living, only that the 
better spirits seem to float, and the evil ones tread heavier ; so 
that their footsteps may sometimes be heard, not by me alone, 
but by those who are with me. They have various ways of 
attracting attention by other sounds besides speech ; and this 
faculty they exercise frequently on those who can neither see 
them nor hear their voices. These sounds consist in sighing, 
knocking, noises as of the throwing of sand, cr gravel, rustling 
of paper, rolling of a ball, shuffling as in slippers, &c. &c. 
They are also able to move heavy articles, and to open and 
shut doors, although they can pass through them unopened, 
or through the walls. I observe that the darker a spectre is, 
the stronger is his voice, and the more ghostly powers of 
making noises, and so forth, he seems to have. The sounds 
they produce are by means of the air, and the nerve-spirit, 
which is still in them. I never saw a ghost when he was in 
the act of producing any sound except speech, so that I con- 
clude they cannot do it visibly ; neither have I ever seen them 
in the act of opening or shutting a door, only directly after- 
wards. They move their mouths in speaking, and their voices 
are various, as those of the living. They cannot answer me 
all that I desire ; wicked spirits are more willing or able to do 
this, but I avoid conversing with them. These I can dismiss 



44 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS: 

by a written word, used as an amulet, and free others from 
them as well as myself. 

" When I talk to them piously, I have seen the spirits, 
especially the darker ones, draw in my words, as it were, 
whereby they became brighter; but I feel much weaker. The 
spirits of the happy invigorate me, and give me a very dif- 
ferent feeling to the others : I observe that the happy spirits 
have the same difficulty in answering questions regarding 
earthly matters, as the evil ones have in doing it with respect 
to heavenly ones ; the first belong not to earth, nor the last to 
heaven." 

In the Arcana Celestia, p. 448, Emanuel Swedenborg 



" I have conversed with many after their decease, with 
whom I was acquainted during their life in the body ; and 
such conversation has been of long continuance, sometimes 
for months, sometimes for a whole year; and with as clear 
and distinct a voice, but internal, as with friends in the world. 
The subject of our discourse has sometimes turned on the 
state of man after death; and they have greatly wondered 
that no one in the life of the body knows, or believes, that he 
is to live in such a manner after the life of the body ; when, 
nevertheless, it is a continuation of life, and that of such a 
nature, that the deceased passes from an obscure life into a 
clear and distinct one ; and they who are in faith towards the 
Lord, into a life more and more clear and distinct. They have 
desired me to acquaint their friends on earth that they were 
alive, and to write to them an account of their states, as I have 
often told them many things respecting their friends : but my 
reply was, that if I should speak to them, or write to them, 
they would not believe, but would call my information mere 
fancy, and would ridicule it, asking for signs of miracles before 
they should believe : and thus I should be exposed to their 
derision: and that the things here declared are true, few, 
perhaps, will believe, for men deny, in their hearts, the ex- 
istence of spirits : and they who do not deny such ^existence, 
are yet very unwilling to hear that any one can converse with 
spirits. Such a faith respecting spirits did not at all prevail in 
ancient times, but (does) at this day, when men wish, by 



NOT A NEW THING. 45 

reasonings of the brain, to explore what spirits are, whom, by 
definitions and suppositions, they deprive of every sense; and 
the more learned they wish to be, the more they do this." 

The following is from an English, work, entitled " Psychol- 
ogy; or, the Science of the Soul, &y Joseph Haddock, 
M. D." It has recently been republished by Fowlers and 
Wells, of New York. We copy a brief extract from an in- 
teresting account of a young lady, who frequently went into a 
spontaneous state of extasis, or spiritual trance. It will be 
seen, that this case occurred about the same time that the 
rappings began in the Fox family, iu Hydesville, N. Y. : 

" The first of these spontaneous states of extasis, or spiritual 
trance, occurred on the 2rd of July, 1848, without any expec- 
tation or forewarning on her part. This did not last more than 
a quarter of an hour. Afterward she had several which lasted 
about half an hour ; and since those, some which have extended 
from four to ten hours. Of most of these states, she had a 
presentiment while in the mesmeric state ; and in one instance 
foretold the occurrence nearly two months before it happened. 
But she knew nothing of what was forthcoming while in her 
ordinary wakeful state ; and for the sake of experiment, and to 
test the truthfulness of her- predictions, she was never informed 
when these trances were to occur ; yet she was found correct, 
"even to the exact time. They have usually been preceded by 
a feeling of quietness, and a somewhat confused sensation in 
the head, but no pain. Several gentlemen whom I had ap- 
prized of her statements, have been witnesses of their accuracy, 
and of the genuineness of this abnormal condition. 

" In these states she preserved a recollection, at times, of the 
place she was actually in, and of the persons by whom she was 
surrounded, and, at the same time, she had a distinct and sen- 
sational perception of a higher and spiritual state of existence, 
and of a class of beings living in such a state. She would 
speak of these things while in the trance, and on her return to 
the normal state, she could recollect, and would again describe, 
what she had seen and heard. During the first trance, of four 
hours' duration, which occurred on the 28th of September, 
1848, she was so far elevated in her perceptions that she spoke 



46 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS I 

of this world, as the other world, just as tf she had passed from 
this life to death. * * * All that she has said tends to 
confirm the distinction between moral good and moral evil, and 
the impossibility of those who depart this life in a state of 
moral evil, attaining hereafter, to a state of moral goodness ; 
in this respect, being*strikingly dissimilar to the statements of 
Davis, the American clairvoyant; but who, according to his 
own subsequent statements, had never been in the state of true 
spiritual extasis, when he delivered his lectures in the mesmeric 
state. 

" Her general statements represent man as a spiritual being, 
rising from the shell of the dead body immediately after death, 
a perfectly organized existence, and having a complete sensa- 
tional perception of his fellow spiritual beings, and of the 
beautiful scenery of the spiritual spheres ; that is, provided he 
possessed during his natural life a moral state, in harmony 
with those spheres. The male and female sex retaining all the 
characteristics necessary to a spiritual state of existence, aud 
living together in a state of angelic union. Those who ha^e 
been interiorly united here, coming again in a state of union 
hereafter. She represents male and female spiritual beings, 
thus united, as appearing at a distance as one, and says chat 
they are not called two, nor the married, but the one. Infants 
and young children, who have passed from this world by death, 
are stated to grow to a state of adolescence, but more speedily 
than in the natural world. During infancy and early childhood, 
they are confided to the care of good female spirits, or angels, 
whose delight it is to instruct them by various methods, espe- 
cially by representatives of things. These spiritual spheres, 
and their spiritual inhabitants, are in clooe association with us, 
and exercise an influence over us, although we are unconscious 
of it. All that is wanted to have a sensational knowledge of 
their existence, is the closing of the external consciousness, and 
a full awaking of the internal consciousness. In the highest 
state of trance, she appeared to herself to be among spiritual 
beings, as one of themselves; at other times she appeared to 
them more shadowy. The first receptacle of the departed 
spirit, she describes as a sort of middle place or state, from 
which the good gradually ascend to higher and more delightful 
places ; those that are the best having higher abodes than the 



NOT A NEW THING. 47 

others. All are welcomed by angelic spirits, on their arrival 
in the spirit-world ; but the evil will not associate with the good, 
and recede of their own accord, more or less rapidly, to darker 
places below and to the left; but of these darker places, she 
had not been permitted to know so much as of the abodes of 
the good. 

" Being asked, in one of these long trances, if she now could 
explain how she saw distant individuals in the mesmeric state, 
she said: ' Yes; I can see how it is now: but I could not be- 
fore ; ' and then stated that if spirits w r ished to see each other, 
distance is no interruption; and words to the effect, that spirits 
are not subject to our laws of space and time ; and that man, 
as to his spirit, is a subject of the laws of the spirit-world, even 
while united to his natural body. The opening of her spiritual 
consciousness, gives her a sensational perception of the spirits 
of all to whom her attention is directed ; and thus, however 
distant the individual, he can be mentally present with her. But 
this, she further represented, as being accomplished by the aid 
.of intermediate associate spirits, by whom the connexion is 
completed; and she fuither represented every one as having a 
connexion with the spirit-world generally; and a more par- 
ticular one, by means of this associate spirit. Whenever 
Emma speaks of going into a trance, she always represents it 
as ' going away,'' and '•going a very long way? Of any one 
that is dead, she says : * They have left their shell and gone 
away,' and will never admit that they are dead." 

We have an account of a strange phrensy that was common 
among the Scandinavians in the ninth century, which appears 
in some respects to have resembled these phenomena. Taylor, 
in his Manual of Modern History, thus describes it: 

14 Sometimes these warriors, like the Malays in Java, were 
seized with a kind of phrensy, either arising from an excited 
imagination, or from the use of stimulating liquors. In this 
state they were -called 'berserker, 1 a word of frequent occur- 
rence among the Sagas. While under the influence of this 
madness, the champions committed the wildest extravagances ; 
they danced about, foamed at the mouth, struck indiscrimi- 
nately at friends and foes, destroyed their own property, and, 
like the mad Orlando, waged war against inanimate nature, 



48 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS I 

tearing up rocks and trees. Sivald, king of Sweden, had five 
sons, all of whom became ' berserker;'' when the fit was on 
them they used to swallow burning coals, and throw themselves 
into the fire. They and their father were slain by Halfdan, 
whom Sivald had previously dethroned, the nation having be- 
come impatient of the extravagances of the frantic princes. 
Halfdan had a contest with another berserker, named Hartben, 
who came to attack him, accompanied by twelve companions. 
Hartben was a formidable pirate, but when the fit was on him, 
it was as much as his twelve companions could do to prevent 
him devastating everything around him. Halfdan challenged 
the pirate and his entire crew. Such an insult so inflamed 
Hartben that he was immediately seized with a fit of phrensy, 
during which he killed six of his companions; he rushed 
against the king with the remaining six, but the pirates were 
slain by the irresistible blows of the mace of Halfdan." 

It is our opinion that much, if not all, of what has been 
known as the "Salem Witchcraft," and the Kentucky "JirJcs"' 
belongs in the same general class of phenomena with these 
rappings. The diversities in the modus operandi in these man- 
ifestations, at different times and in different places, are not 
greater than the diversities in the conditions of the people with 
whom they have occurred. They seem always to adapt them- 
selves to the persons interested : they are refined or uncouth, 
learned or unlearned, pious or impious, as occasion may seem 
to require. 

These phenomena have long been common among the Sha- 
kers. They often transact business, work, advise, discipline, 
preach, sing, dance, whirl, &c, under the direction, as they 
suppose, of the spirit of "Mother Ann Lee," or some other 
spirit or spirits. They pretend that they have heard angels or 
spirits sing, both in the day time and in the night, and that 
they have learned from them their hymns and tunes. They 
also have a book of 400 pages, called the " Sacred Roll," which 
they say was received by direct revelation from " the Eternal 



HOW THE SOUNDS ARE PRODUCED. 49 

Source of all goodness," by angels and spirits, through persons 
in the flesh. It was -written in the Shaker Society at New 
Lebanon, N. Y., in 1842, and published early in 1843. Its 
style and many of its doctrines are similar to the revelations of 
Swedenborg and A. J. Davis. It contains communications and 
testimonials of its correctness from the spirits of Jeremiah, Eli- 
sha, Noah, Micah, Ezekiel, Malachi, Isaiah, Peter, and John. 
And, strange to say, they are made to endorse a repudiation 
of their own writings, contained in the Bible. 

Other cases might be cited, both from profane and from sa- 
cred history, but we add no more under this head at present. 



EXPOSITION. 

HOW THE SOUNDS ARE PRODUCED. 

None pretend to know precisely how these strange sounds 
are made, and only a very few have any settled opinions about 
it When these recent developments began to attract public 
attention, it was the general opinion that they were nothing 
but cunning tricks, that would soon be detected ; but every 
effort to this end has so far proved abortive. The sounds are 
actually made, in the daylight, as well as in the dark; in the 
presence of many, as well as in the presence of few ; with the 
learned, as well as with the unlearned, and vice versa; in the 
presence of the unbelieving, however sceptical, curious, and 
watchful, as well as in the presence of those who are firm be- 
lievers; in the house and out of the house; on the floor, wall, 
table, chair, ground, pavement, in the carriage, in public con- 
veyances — everywhere, and under all circumstances. It has 
been so often and so thoroughly tested, in so many ways, and 
under so great a variety of circumstances, that no one can 
reasonably believe the sounds are made by machinery, or by 
slight of hand. 



50 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS! 

We are not now inquiring who make the sounds, but how 
they are made ? We shall hereafter inquire who makes them. 
The sounds are made in some way and by something. As to 
how they are made, we will give the opinion of one who be- 
lieves these rappings are what they profess to be. Wm. 
Fishbourgh, a psychological writer, says : 

" But how is it possible for disembodied spirits to make the 
sounds said to be heard at Rochester ? I answer, we do not 
absolutely know; but the follow ing/acte will enable us clearly 
to conceive how it may be, and possibly is. Spirits still con- 
nected with, but owing to some abnormal condition, capable of 
acting in measurable independence of the body, have sometimes 
been able to attract, and act upon the refined ingredients of 
the atmosphere, and especially upon the electric element. 
The writer is acquainted with a man who is subject to many 
remarkable psychological experiences, and who is (or was two 
years ago) able, by the mere effort of his will, to fill his hair 
so full of electricity, that on passing a comb through it, it 
would appear to be almost in a continuous flame, emitting 
sparks, and slight, but distinctly perceptible shocks, when the 
knuckle of another person was presented. On diverting his 
mind from the object, the electricity would, in half a minute, 
all disappear, so that not a single spark could be generated, 
however violent the friction. Then, on assuming the previous 
mental condition again, the electricity would gradually appear, 
until his hair was charged as before. The writer saw this 
experiment repeated several times, and under circumstances 
which excluded all possibility of mistake. There was, at the 
time, no electric machine in the room, or in the house, and the 
man was standing, or walking about, on a woollen carpet. He 
explained, in vague terms, how he did it, but it was altogether 
by a psychological process, of which any one in a perfectly 
normal condition, would be incapable. 

" Dr. Emerich, professor of theology, at Strasburgh, had a 
sister, who, having been injured by a fright, fell into a state of 
somnambulism, accompanied by a high degree of lusidity, (or 
clairvoyance), and her body became so surcharged with elec- 
tricity, that she sometimes imparted strong shocks to those 



HOW THE SOUNDS ARE PRODUCED. 51 

standing near her, although the latter frequently did not touch 
her. Professor Emerich mentioned, also, that she sent him a 
smart shock one day, when she was several rooms off. He 
started up, and rushed into her chamber, where she was in bed ; 
and as soon as she saw him, she said, laughing, ' Ah, you felt 
it, did you?' Mademoiselle Emerich's illness terminated in 
death. 

"It is well known that the gyrnnotus electricus naturally 
possesses a power analagous to this, by which, without contact, 
or even very close proximity, it stuns its prey by an electric 
stroke, seeming to direct the latter with precision, by its will. 
To say, a priori, and even against the indication of positive 
facts, that the human spirit, in certain abnormal conditions of 
the body, may not have a similar power, is certainly to assume 
that which is unwarrantable. 

" If, then, the human spirit, when but partially liberated 
from the body, as in certain abnormal states, can, in this man- 
ner, control the electricity of the atmosphere, in how much 
greater degree may not the electricity, and, through that, the 
atmosphere itself, and even the powers of gravitation, be con- 
trolled by a spirit entirely out of the body ? And may not a 
spirit, in this way, by the action of his will, produce the shocks 
or concussions in the atmosphere, improperly called ' rappings,' 
which are heard at Rochester, and elsewhere, and, by which, 
intelligible communications are received? In this way, sub- 
stantially, the ' Seeress of Prevost,' and, it is said, also the 
invisible communicators at Rochester, explain these apparently 
preternatural sounds." 

This may be the way in which the sounds are made; but 
we differ very widely from Mr. Fishbourgh, as well as with the 
"spirits" themselves, about the agency that produces the 
sounds. We pass to inquire — 

BY WHOM ARE THESE COMMUNICATIONS MADE ? AND FOR WHAT 
ARE THEY MADE? 

These are important questions, and we beg the reader 
patiently and candidly to hear our answer. The sounds are 
made by somebody or something. If the spirits of the dead 



52 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS I 

were all about us, as the prevalent theology of our day teaches, 
they might make such sounds and communications. But we 
shall present proof that the spirits of the dead do not make 
these communications, and shall also state what we think does 
make them. We will in the first place quote a series of ex- 
cellent articles from the Bible Examiner, published at New 
York by Eld. George Storrs. The "spirits," as they call 
themselves, among other strange things, took it into their 
heads (if they have any heads) they would become authors, 
publishers, editors, &c, &c. Accordingly they began business 
at Auburn, K Y. They published some small books, revela- 
tions, exposition's of Scripture, &c, and started a paper, called 
some kind of a " Circle? we forget what — all done through 
men as passive agents. They published a paper for a while at 
Springfield, Mass., called the " Spirit Messenger? and one at 
Boston, Mass., called the •* Spiritual Philosopher." Mr Storrs' 
articles are notices of these last two papers. He says in his 
Examiner for Dec, 1850, January, February and August, 1851 : 



Our readers have doubtless all heard of some manifestations 
called " rappings" or " knockings," <fec. Sometimes it has been 
said the whole is a fraud — that there is no reality in it : again, 
that the secret is out, that the operators had confessed the decep- 
tion, and that the matter was dying away, and would soon 
cease, &c. 

We really wish that such were the facts ; but we are satisfied 
it is not so ; and that it is on the increase and likely to spread 
more and more. Hence we feel called upon to say something 
on the subject. We do not intend to go into the details of the 
rise, progress, or operation of this new development ; but it 
must suffice to say, that these " JRajipings" commenced in the 
vicinity of Rochester, N. Y., about three years ago. It was 
opened by " strange noises," which annoyed the family where 
they were heard. Accidentally, it seems, it was discovered that 
by repeating the alphabet, the mysterious visitors would spell 



HOW THE SOUNDS ARE PRODUCED. 53 

out, by raps, such messages as they wished to communicate. 
While the alphabet was repeated there was silence till the first 
letter of the desired word was uttered, when a rap was heard. 
Then the alphabet was commenced again and repeated till 
another rap arrested it on the next letter which was to form the 
word, and so on till the whole communication was made. Many 
strange things were by this means communicated. At length 
the rapping spread into different families and to different places. 
These circumstances were investigated by respectable and intel- 
ligent men, and committees ; but, it appears, without detecting 
fraud in the persons through whom the communications were 



For two years we regarded the whole matter as unworthy 
our attention, and as most likely a fraud practised in some way 
by slight of hand. We have been, however, from testimony 
which we could not impeach, compelled to believe that there is 
a supernatural power connected with these operations ; but our 
conclusions as to the character of that power are not at all in 
agreement with the claims set up for it. It claims to be the 
operations of the spirits of men who are dead ; and, for the most 
part, to be the spirits of "good and true''' men. 

Already two papers are published devoted to this new 
development, viz : " The Spiritual Philosopher" and the " Spirit 
Messenger ;" both in New England. The Philosopher, edited 
and published by La Roy Sunderland, thus announces a part of 
its object : 

" Especially shall our columns be open for the influx of good- 
ness and truth from the Spheres above, between which and 
our own earth, audible, tangible, ocular communications have 
now been commenced. * * * * The good and true 
having cast off the outer form, the spirits of our brothers, our 
sisters, our fathers and mothers, our children, mingle in our 
presence, and attract us to the contemplation of those bright 
mansions where they exult in the beatific vision. Welcome, 
thrice welcome, happy, happy spirits ! * * * * Through 
these pages [the pages of the Philosopher] shall congenial 
minds commune, and spirits mingle from the world above, with 
their loved friends in the sphere below, " &c. 

Thus, it will be seen, the Spiritual Philosopher is specially 
devoted to the communications of these spirits. Again, the 
Philosopher says — 



54 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS I 

"The language of most, and perhaps all, is, give us light! 
Let us see! Let us hear ! Let us know if there is more to be 
known. No matter how it comes, whether by 'knocking,' 
clairvoyance or any other means, if we may but get the infor- 
mation we want." 

Here is a full endorsement of king Saul's conduct, when 
abandoned of God and refused " light" from that source, he 
said — "Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I 
may go to her, and inquire of her." He wanted " light — give 
me light — no matter how it comes, " he said. Such language, 
it pains us to say, looks as if the individual using it was aban- 
doned of God to ripen for destruction. The feelings we have 
on this subject are often of the most painful character. We 
were once intimately connected with the editor of the Philoso- 
pher, and walked with him to the house of God in company : 
but Pathetism, and A. J. Davis' " Harmonial Philosophy" have 
led him, we fear, into a position that will terminate fatally. That 
we have reason for these fears, we shall show before we have 
done with the articles we intend to write on the subject. 

We did not see the first seven numbers of the " Spirit Mes- 
senger ;" but the eighth makes the following announcement : — 

" The editors of the Messenger were desired to give their 
readers the following short, but significant communication, 
which was dictated by a spirit who was well known and respected 
while in the body : 

' The world shall receive spiritual manifestations and commu- 
nications soon, with great joy. Knowledge of God and Heaven 
will increase love and unity among mankind.' 

" Our readers will be gratified," [say the editors of the Mes- 
senger] " to learn that we are endeavoring to make arrange- 
ments, by which we shall secure one of the best mediums yet 
developed in the world, through which we may hope to receive 
communications for the Messenger of a high character, from 
some of the purest spirits of the second sphere. As soon as 
such arrangements are effected, the fact will be duly announced." 

The italicising in this extract is ours. It covertly aims a blow 
at all the prophets, apostles, and Jesus Christ. All the com- 
munications from God, through the "medium" of prophets, 
apostles, and His Son, are now to be eclipsed by these "best 
mediums yet developed in the world ! !" Again the Messenger 
says : — 



HOW THE SOUNDS ARE PRODUCED. 55 

" The century in which we happily live is becoming replete 
with demonstrative realities of spiritual existence. While mas- 
ter minds have passed from earth to the spirit-land with only 
pleasing hopes of immortality, it is left to the present age to 
know and feel that man possesses within himself the elements 
of never-ending life." 

We have called attention to this paragraph because it throws 
the " life and immortality, brought to light by the gospel," into 
the shade. The apostles and primitive Christians had only 
" pleasing hopes of immortality ;" but " the present age knows 
and feels that man possesses within himself the elements of 
never-ending life." Thus the beloved disciple John was mis- 
taken, according to these new " lights," when he said — " God 
hath given unto us eternal life, and this life is in His Son : he 
that .hath the Son hath [this eternal] life, and he that hath not 
the Son of God hath not [this eternal] life." 1 John, 5 : 11, 12. 
The Spirit Messenger goes on to say : — 

" The unbounded field of light opened to us through the com- 
munications of our departed friends and associates, imparts 
new life, new hopes, new desires, through every avenue of the 
heart. Hushed be the unnatural fears of the future, oh, my 
soul!" 

" Peace and safety is the language of this extract ; and another 
attempt is made to eclipse "the true light" — Jesus Christ — 
by this " unbounded field of light opened" by the " communica- 
tions" of dead men and women ! ! The next Messenger that 
we received — No. 10 — contained the following, which we 
insert entire that our readers may see the madness and folly of 
these communicating spirits and their adherents. It is a chap- 
ter of the " significant communications" spoken of in No. 8. 
" Henry Gordon" is a clairvoyant. 

"a message from the departed." 

"The most convincing and satisfactory evidences are now 
being presented to the world, showing that the era of spiritual 
communications has already commenced. In various w T ays, and 
through different mediums, the dwellers of the second sphere 
are manifesting their presence and intelligence ; and since it is 
neither just nor wise to.suppress truth, though it may be scorned 
and rejected, the following statement of facts, illustrative of a 



56 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS: 

new mode of spiritual intercourse, is here submitted to the 
reader : 

" On Thursday morning, Sept. 26th, as arrangements were 
being made for the regular mailing of our papers, a manuscript 
was found on a table in the back office of the Spirit Messenger, 
of a singular and mysterious character. A piece of common 
wrapping paper, as is used in the office for the purpose of ' 
making up bundles, was covered on one side with hieroglyphic 
characters, somewhat resembling the language of the Orientals, 
the meaning and object of which was not readily perceivable. 
Knowing, both from the nature of the characters themselves, 
and from the circumstances under which they were made, that 
they were not the production of human hands, and suspecting 
that the manuscript was given in fulfilment of a promise which 
had been previously made by the spirits, I experienced a feeling 
of intuitive satisfaction and delight, which arose from the con- 
sciousness of having been visited by some unseen intelligence. 
Mr. Henry Gordon, whose system forms a suitable medium for 
spiritual manifestations, being at the time in the place, I was 
induced to consult the spirits, through him, in regard to the 
source and explanation of the manuscript referred to. On 
inquiring if the characters were written by a spirit, I was 
answered in the affirmative ; and to the question, how shall I 
obtain an explanation of the writing ? the reply was given, 
" magnetize Henry." Mr. Gordon, however, not being then in 
a proper bodily condition to attain the necessary state of clair- 
voyance, this direction was not obeyed until the following 
Saturday evening, when, with the aid of slight manipulations, 
he passed into the superior condition, and voluntarily calling for 
the manuscript, proceeded to give an explanation of each 
character in order, making the following connected and beauti- 
ful message: 

" Knowing the anxiety of minds to obtain information from 
the spirit-world, and as in the present age the human mind is 
so expanded as to receive impressions and communications 
from the second sphere, we have taken forms to manifest our- 
selves in the presence of those mediums which are at Rochester 
and here in Springfield. It will be well for those mediums to 
be brought in closer union in order to manifest ourselves more 
freely among you. The intelligence which you are about to 



HOW THE SOUNDS ARE PRODUCED. 57 

receive is from a higher order of spirits than have yet com- 
municated to mankind. The visitations and manifestations 
from the spirit-world, are to convince you of the immortality 
of the soul — that the spirit is in a progressive state, happy 
with angelic hosts; to produce unity among mankind in order 
to promote happiness on earth, love of progression and freedom 
of mind ; to lead you to fear not, but to spread the truth and 
light of the gospel, that the whole world may receive instruction 
through this mode of communication. 

" Behold, now is the day of rejoicing. Rejoice all ye that 
inhabit the earth. Behold, the light of truth, love and unity is 
soon to expand your sphere of existence to a more perfect, 
quiet, and peaceful condition than the one in which you now 
exist. Let your hearts be cheerful and your minds free from 
sectarianism, in order to receive these communications unbiased 
and without prejudice — to receive them as heavenly mandates. 
In order to promote happiness on earth, you should receive 
these communications with free and pure minds, which will 
promote union of hearts and love, to the glory of your Maker. 

" Soon the world will receive further instructions respecting 
the spirits — their mode and manner of communication. Let 
there be a union in all your circles on earth. In divine love 
and affection, your friend, Lyman Philleo." 

" The world to which this communication is addressed may 
not at present be prepared to receive and appreciate it, but having 
received spiritual direction to publish it in the ' Messenger,' and 
having the satisfaction of knowing that it will gladden the 
hearts of the more advanced believers in the Harmonical Philo- 
sophy, it is a pleasure to brave the ridicule and detraction which 
may incident from its publication. It will be perceived that 
the above message contains an intimation of farther re- 
vealments from a higher order of spirits than have yet held 
intercourse ivith the world. Instead of yielding to the in- 
fluence of sectarian prejudice and prepossessions, how eagerly 
and gratefully should the soul receive these loving messages; 
for as cool waters are to the thirsty traveller, so to the weary 
pilgrim of life are the glad tidings from the spirit-home. It is 
only necessary to add, that the original manuscript of which 
the above is a translation, may be seen by those who desire it> 
at the office of the ' Messenger.' " 
3* 



58 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS I 

There are two points in this article to which we call special 
attention. First : the high claims set up by these spirits and 
admitted by the Messenger. Mark the language : "A higher 
order of spirits than have yet held intercourse with the 
world" Now, " angels " and the u Spirit of God " have " held 
intercourse with" men in days gone by; but this "higher 
order of spirits" is to be " exalted above all that is called God." 
We are right glad that they have thus early, but undesignedly, 
developed their true character. 

The second point to which we call attention, is their tvorJc — 
It is " to convince you of the immortality of the soul." That 
is what we suspected. The Bible cannot be made to prove 
that doctrine ; and there is but one testimony from Genesis to 
Revelations in favor of man's natural and inherent immor- 
tality, afid that was given by the Serpent, viz : Thou shalt not 
surely die " — i.e. — " You are immortal." This " higher 
order of spirits," that are to out-shine all that have " visited 
the world before," show that they are in league with the 
" father of lies." It may also be seen that the " peace and 
safety " doctrine, which Paul said would immediately precede 
"destruction" is a general characteristic of this article. The 
Editors of the Messenger seem to think, " the world may not 
be prepared to receive " the " communication " of the spirit of 
"Philleo," &c; but they publish it by direction of some 
"spiritual" agency! Now, we tell them plainly, "the world" 
is " prepared " for just such a delusion as is now coming on 
it; and we have no doubt you will have multitudes, yea, 
" legions " to swallow down these messages. We feel no in- 
clination to " ridicule " these spiritual manifestations. It is too 
serious a matter for that. We are satisfied there is too much 
reality in the manifestations — saying nothing of this written 
document in the Messenger — and that it will most likely be a 
serious affair for the world before it ends. If we did not think 
so, we would pass the whole matter in silence. To do so with 
our present conviction that there is a reality about it, would be 
to betray the cause of God, and stamp us with the character of 
an unfaithful watchman. Those who are deluded as to the 
character of these spirits are the objects of our sympathy and 
pity, and not of our scorn or contempt. That they are im- 
posed upon by " lying spirits" does not admit of a doubt in 



HOW THE SOUNDS ARE PRODUCED. 5& 

our mind. That the testimony of these spirits is false, we 
have no more doubt than we have that the Bible is true ; for, 
they fully contradict the Bible ; and, not unfrequently, as we 
shall see before we have done, sneer at that book. 

In noticing the Spiritual Philosopher, Mr.' Storrs says : 

The manner in which Mr. Sunderland was finally convinced 
of the reality of the presence and communications of spirits, 
he relates in his Spiritual Philosopher, No. 1, pages 7 and 8 ; 
from which we give the following extract. It was in New 
York, last June, at an examination of the subject in the pre- 
sence of a number of persons. He says — 

" I asked, — * Are there any spirits present who will respond 
tome?' ' Yes.' Then I proceeded to write down the names 
of all my near relatives who have departed this life ; and placing 
my pencil on each name, I asked, ' Is it this V and in this way 
was given to understand that it was the spirit of a beloved sis- 
ter, whose hand I held in mine 22 years ago, while she left the 
body. Then followed other questions, and which were answered 
thus : — Ques. How old were you when you left this sphere ? 
Ans. Twenty-nine. This was true. Q. What was your given 
name? A. Sally. True. Q. Where did you depart this 
life? A. Oxford, Mass. True. Q. Will you communicate 
with me in Boston, at my house? A. Yes. Q. How soon? 
A. Within four weeks. I then asked her, ' Shall I stay here 
to hold further conversation with you?' and she called for the 
alphabet, and spelled out as follows : 'JVo, you need not. 1 
iv ill talk with you away from this place? I asked her 
numerous other questions, which were promptly answered, and 
which left no more room for me to doubt but that I was really 
conversing with the spirit of my dear departed sister, than that 
I had once such a sister in this sphere, and at whose bedside 
I watched with an affection which death has not dissolved." 

Mr. Sunderland next proceeds to give an account of an inter- 
view with his two infant boys, who died several years since ; it 
is as follows : — 

" Ques. — Will the spirits present respond to me? Ans. 
Yes. Q. Shall I know who it is with whom I am conversing ? 
A. Yes. Q. Is it my father? A. No. Q. My sister? 



60 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS I 

A. No. Is it H.? C. M.? A. No. Q, Is it my two sons? 
A. Yes. Q. What was your name ? A. La Roy." 

Mr. Sunderland at this point says — 

" To enable the reader to appreciate what follows, it may be 
well to state, that my first born son died in Salem, N. H., 
September 5, 1835, aged six weeks. My second son died in 
Springfield, N. J., Aug. 29, 1841, aged three months. Each 
was an only son at the time of death, and how deeply my soul 
was wounded in seeing them cut down thus early in life, no 
words could describe. My views of the spirit world, since their 
death, had taught me, indeed, how vastly they must have pro- 
gressed in that sphere, beyond what they could have reached 
had they remained here." 

He then proceeds in his conversation with what he supposes 
to be the spirits of those little »* sons.'* 

" Q. Do you comprehend my mind ? Do you understand 
what my views are of the spirit world ? A. Yes. Q. Have 
you ever communicated with the spirit of your father before 
now, since you left this sphere ? A. Yes. Q. Will you here- 
after respond to your father as you do now ? A. Yes. Q. Will 
you soon in Boston, at our home ? A. Yes. Q, Did you touch 
your father this morning, before he left his room ? A* Yes. 
Q. By what sign shall your father know when you communi- 
cate with him? A. Touch. The sense of touch." 

" Other questions," says Mr. Sunderland, " were answered 
by my children and sister, at different sittings." He adds, — 
" I have no doubt that what purported to be the spirits of my 
dear children, were what they seemed to be." 

Such is an extract from Mr. S.'s account of his initiation 
into this school of spiritual manifestations. It will be seen that 
he was prepared for it by his belief in the natural immortality 
theory ; and he never once suspects the truth of the apostle's 
declaration that " Satan himself is transformed into an angel 
of light:" 2 Cor. 11: 14. And Mr. S. has said, "give us 
light, — no matter how it comes." A fearful prayer, truly ! 
And we fear, in his case, it is fearfully answered ; and that our 
fears are not groundless we " have no doubt," will be seen as 
we proceed in our investigations of this matter. The " Philo- 
sopher," in speaking of the " Spiritual Era," as it calls the 
present age, says : 

" It is the period to which the hopes of generations, long 



HOW THE SOUNDS ARE PRODUCED. 61 

since passed away, had been reaching forward. ' Prophets and 
kings waited long, but died without the sight.'" On the 
" Origin of Man " it says : "As to the ' Mosaic Record,' it 
affords us but little assistance indeed, in our attempts to settle 
any question connected with Anthropology. We are not 
aware that Moses either understood it, or designed to teach 
the present inhabitants of the earth on this subject at all. We 
should as soon undertake to dress and regulate our dietetic 
habits as Moses did, as we should to shape our views by his on 
the origin of the human race." 

Here is seen how the Spiritual Philosopher is to "shape " 
its course. The Mosaic account of " the origin of the human 
race " is to be given to the winds as unworthy of credit. This 
is but one flashing out of the "light" that it is "no matter 
how it comes ! " Truly, our " Spiritual Era " is likely to bring 
astounding developments. Page 55, the Philosopher says: 

"Death is to the spirit what the birth is to the human body. 
Death does not alter the qualities or powers of the mind. It 
is simply the transition of the Spirit FORM from a lower to 
a higher sphere, where it is in a better condition for progress- 
ing to a higher degree, both of goodness and truth." 

No wonder the Philosopher should desire to bring the 
"Mosaic Record" into discredit; for, if death is simply a 
transition into a better condition, &c, then the threatening to 
Adam, as recorded by Moses, " simply " meant, if man sinned, 
God would give him a " transition," i» e. a removal, into a 
" better condition; " and so a reward was offered for sin, which 
Adam and Eve would have been exceeding unwise not to 
accept. No wonder, then, they so soon laid hold on the prof- 
fered benefit, and partook of the forbidden fruit. 

The Philosopher adds: 

" Hence, it is a great mistake to suppose, that because a 
spirit has merely left the body, that, therefore, it must neces- 
sarily know all about everything. We might as well suppose 
that, because a person was inside of a college, therefore he 
must be equal to Sir Isaac Newton in Mathematical Science. 
Spirits differ in the degrees of their knowledge and goodness, 
precisely as human beings differ. There may be great good- 
ness, but little knowledge, and vice versa* 

This is said to account for the mistakes which the spirits 



62 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS: 

sometimes make in giving answers to questions. Hence the 
Philosopher goes on to say : 

" Responses from the Spirit World are never to be wholly- 
depended upon, except when they come from spirits whom 
we knew in the body; or, when they come from others we 
should be assured of their identity. We need the same con- 
ditions, or guarantees, for believing spirits, that we do for be- 
lieving human testimony." 

Thus it will be seen, while all who die are gainers, all are 
not so advanced in knowledge as always to give correct infor- 
mation when inquired of. 

These spirits give sensible evidence of their presence some- 
times. Mr. Sunderland says : 

"In Auburn [N. Y.], August 9, 1850, the spiritual hand of 
one of my sons was placed upon my head, where it was kept 
with a gentle motion, pressing back and forth, (to make me 
sensible of what it was), for nearly five minutes." 

Of course " disembodied spirits" cannot be "immaterial," 
for they have hands that can be felt, if Mr. Sunderland is not 
mistaken. If the subject were not too serious to be trifled with, 
it would be amusing to note some things related of these 
spirits ; for example, the following account of Mr. Sunderland : 

" I asked my children if they could spell ? They said no, 
they had had no use for the alphabet in the world where they 
lived ; but they would ask their aunt, my sister, to learn them. 
This was Friday. The next Wednesday night I asked them if 
they had learned to spell ? The oldest one said he had, and, 
giving the call for the alphabet, he spelled this sentence : ' I 
have learned to spell done! ' I then asked him to spell some- 
thing for his father to remember. He commenced, and rapped 
out the following: 'Father dear! I look like you.' " 

How the intelligent mind of Mr. Sunderland could be so 
imposed upon, it is hard for us to conceive. The spirit pro- 
fessed on Friday that it could not " spell" The next Wednes- 
day it had learned to spell " done ; " but in giving that infor- 
mation, it was spelling all the while ; for it " spelled this sen- 
tence," says Mr. S. : "I have learned to spell done ! ! " Here 
are jive words besides u done! " But this is not all; for, when 
Mr. S. asked it " to spell something for his father to remember," 
it spelled— - ;< Father dear! I look like vou! !" Six words 



HOW THE SOUNDS ARD PRODUCED. 63 

more; making eleven words in all, besides " done!£ Truly, 
this was " done " a little too much for any-mind not already 
taken captive, and so blinded to the deception. The facts as 
stated by Mr. Sunderland we do not question ; but that the 
spirit which gave these responses was the spirit of his son, we 
do not for a moment believe : to our mind, it was clearly a 
deception by one practised in lying. 

At length these manifestations commenced at Mr. Sunder- 
land's house, Charlestown, Mass., adjoining Boston. He thus 
speaks of it : 

" I had frequently had manifestations, when alone, since last 
June, but no audible*^ answers to questions, till each member of 
my family happened to be present. Then, asking my children 
to respond, the oldest one did so, audibly, for an hour or so, 
upon the cradle, around which the family circle was formed ! 
As if the precious spirit of our child, having left the cradle for 
the grave, would come back and announce his presence by a 
rap, as upon the very place where his fond parents last gazed 
upon his infantile*features, when smitten by the hand of death ! 
The consolation thus afforded us may be imagined ; described 
it cannot be. * 

We should be truly sorry to deprive him of such " consola- 
tion," if we did not believe fidelity to him, to truth, and to God 
demanded it of us. It is true we have little hope of arresting 
Mm in his present course ; but we do not despair of saving some 
from, what we regard, a most fatal deception. In speaking fur- 
ther on the subject of these spirits entering his house, Mr. Sun- 
derland says: 

"With other favored names which have appeared in our 
columns as mediums, we are now permitted to place that of our 
first-born and beloved daughter, Mrs. Margaretta Cooper. My 
friends m Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Louisville, 
Ky., will not need to be told who she is, nor reminded of the 
music she made for her father's audiences in those places in 
1848, coming, as we used to say, from the ' spirit world P The 
responses we have had through her have been most convincing 
and satisfactory indeed. How gratifying, how pleasant, how 
heavenly, to find our own family thus taken possession of, as it 
were, by the Heavenly Hosts ! 0, how insignificant is all earthly 
good, when compared to this privilege! At our table, during 



64 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS: 

meal tini^ by day and night, thus to be permitted to hold open 
communion with the Spirit World !" 

Thus Mr. Sunderland is highly delighted to entertain these 
visitors, and is so wrapped up hi the enjoyment of their society, 
that our readers must not be astonished to hear him pray to 
them, and acknowledge them as Paul acknowledged the God 
of heaven, as the following address to them will show. It is 
found in the Philosopher, page 69, and is Mr. S.'s dedication: 

" To my Friends in Heaven : Harmonious Spirits ! Now 
I cease from the external. Now I become conscious of your 
presence. So peaceful. So pleasant. Come, come to me, the 
good and the true. My nature expands to receive you. Wel- 
come, thrice welcome, here ! I long for your presence. Delight 
in your society. Become tranquil when you are near. Exult 
in your love, in which I live, move, and have my being. Now 
I understand. Your light makes manifest. Now I aspire for 
goodness and truth. Now, to have consciousness of my own 
true destiny. 0, blissful thought.- This indeed is heaven. 
What though I yet animate an external Form ! Am I not 
what you are ? Have I not eyes which see without the sun's 
light? Ears that heat' without earthly sound? Senses, which 
cannot be satisfied without you ? No more animal life without 
air, than spiritual life without a Spirit World. Becoming one 
with you, one in essence, one in destiny, I no longer live with- 
out you. No more do I lean on a reed that is broken. No 
more wander in darkness. No more feed on that which cannot' 
satisfy. To be disappointed no more. Yes, well do I know 
you. In your external form I knew you. We took sweet 
counsel together. When you threw aside the outward covering, 
I was with you. Then you left me ? No : you, yourself, did 
not leave me. The magnet leaves not the pole by w T hich it is 
attracted. Precious friends of my soul ! In the depths of my 
innermost life I bless you. Struggling with the external, the 
fleeting, my spirit follows hard after you ! Yes, you know what 
I am, and what I would be. An evenly-balanced, well-governed, 
intelligent mind. Comprehended in Harmony, which, indeed, 
is Contentment, Gratitude and Hope, for ever." 

If the foregoing is not a set and solemn act of worship, we 
beg to know what would be ? Yes, a set and deliberate act of 
consecration to these spirits, such only as can, with innocence, 



HOW THE SOUNDS ARE PRODUCED. ' 65 

be made to the Most High God himself. In the light of 
prayer and consecration Mr. S. evidently regarded it ; for, at the 
close, in brackets, he says : — 

" The above was written Sabbath, September the 8th, 1850, 
between three and four o'clock, P. M., in my study, Charles- 
town, Mass. In less than six hours after writing it, I had audible 
responses made to me, in the presence of my family, from the 
Spirit World." 

This was truly a speedy answer to his prayer and dedication 
of himself to these new gods. That he regards them as his 
gods, appears clear from the following language, on the same 
page: 

"Had I ten thousand tongues, it seems as if I could use them 
all in blessing the Angelic Hosts, who have thus taken posses- 
sion of my earthly sphere ! I now enjoy a Heaven far more 
real than any I had ever been taught to anticipate by the old 
and discordant Theology, out of which I am now conscious of 
being so completely redeemed." 

Here are sentiments that need no comment. Mr. Sunderland 
worships " angelic hosts" — by which, of course, he means the 
spirits of dead men, women, and babies : they are his gods, as 
truly as the " Calf of Samaria" was the god of Israel in the days 
of Jeroboam and the other idolatrous kings. And he is 
" redeemed" by these gods, " completely," from " the old The- 
ology." If he had said p artially "redeemed," we might not 
have disputed his assertion ; for it is manifest, " the old Theolo- 
gy" that man has an " immortal soul," that does not die with 
the body, but survives it, is the very life of this angel worship. 
Yes, this new development from the " Spirit World" is all the 
fruit of immortal-soulism. The grand mission of these spirits 
is " to convince men that they have immortal souls." If the 
Bible taught that doctrince, their missions would be superflu- 
ous : but it does not, and therefore these spirits come to sustain 
a crumbling theory ; and that very theory is the life blood of 
this delusion. Satan ventures not out in his own character : he 
would sooner hide in a " serpent" than show his real colors. 
He therefore takes advantage of the popular belief of immortal- 
soulism, and the spirit surviving after death, and comes to the 
adherents of that doctrine with the disguised name of a dear 
wife, husband, brother, sister, or child, and tells the surviving 



66 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS I 

relatives -how much he loves them, and how very concerned he 
is for their happiness ! 0, how cruel it must be to charge these 
loving spirits with being impostors — lying spirits. To tell 
them plainly — they are not of God, but are of the devil, and 
his works they do. How hard it must be to impeach their 
good will ! How fearful to say to them — " Get behind me, 
Satan !" How cruel to the immortal spirits of our dear little 
babies to treat them so ! 

We have said that this new method of gaining "light" 
asserts, that all men gain by death. Mr. Sunderland, in the 
Philosopher, page 71, says: 

" We have often heard Spirits asked if tney were happy, and, 
with one exception, the answer has been in the affirmative ; but 
even that' one Spirit said that he was better off in that world 
than he had been in this. So that we may say that all the 
manifestations seem to favor the idea, that the next sphere is a 
better state for all." 

This new method of getting " light" is direct in its tendency 
to usher in the cry of " Peace and Safety," in a manner more 
perfect than it has ever been made by any previous theory. 
Such a cry we know, from the testimony of Scripture, is to be 
made just prior to the second advent of Jesus Christ, to destroy 
the " Man of Sin," and to vindicate the truth of God from all 
the aspersions cast upon it by lying "spirits," to whatever 
"sphere" they belong. ********** 

These spirits, and their advocates, have an instinctive horror 
at the idea that any one should believe that there is such a spirit 
as " Satan" or the " Devil !" No wonder they have. For, 
once admit it as a fact that there is such an existence as the 
devil, or Satan, — evil spirits — and the mask is off — commu- 
nity would bo more on their guard ; though not then safe so 
long as they believe, also, that there are spirits of dead men 
equally conscious as Satan himself. In other words, — no man 
is safe from these deceptive spirits who believes the soul is natu- 
rally immortal, and survives the dissolution of the body, in a 
conscious state. How can such a believer prove that these spi- 
rits, now making these manifestations, are not what they profess 
to be ? viz., the spirits of their deceased friends ? But, once 
settle the point that there is no immortality out of Christ, and 
no future life except by a resurrection, or translation, and these 



HOW THE SOUNDS ARE PRODUCED 67 

spirits are demonstrated to be " lying spirits ;" because, they all 
claim to be the spirits of men, women, and children,' who have 
lived in the flesh. Hence their great anxiety to prove " the 
soul is immortal'" for this, they profess, is their grand mission. 
No wonder, we repeat it, they are so concerned to establish that 
point ; for upon it turns all their success in this last desperate 
effort to deeeive the world, and prepare men for the personal 
advent of Satan as an " angel of L'ght" but truly as the " Man 
of Sin, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is 
called God, or that is worshipped ;" and who is the immediate 
forerunner of the Lord's advent from heaven the second time. 
This topic we shall dwell upon fully before we close what we 
have to say on this matter. 

Mr. Sunderland, in the Philosopher, page 74, in addressing 
what he calls his "spiritual children," by which he means those 
who have come under his influence when he was practising 
" Pathetism," says : 

" I have often said to myself and intimate friends, within 
the last six months, ' 0, this communion with spirits is a better 
heaven here, than the old theology I once believed and taught 
promised me, even in the world to come.' With those there- 
fore, who have been intromitted to the spirit world, it may be 
truly said, ' old things are passed away,' and many things, if 
not all, have become new. Indeed, no stories of elysium, nor 
of the christian millenium even equalled the realities which are 
now daily brought to the test of our external senses. The 
blind are made to see, the lame to walk, the deaf to hear, the 
sick are healed, and to the poor, the gospel is preached." 

On the foregoing extract, we remark, first — Mr. Sunderland 
has evidently exchanged " communion" with God the Father, 
and his Son Jesus Christ, which he once professed to enjoy, 
for " communion with spirits," of which he knows nothtng ex- 
cept on their own testimony. Second — In this new " com- 
munion" he has found " a better heaven here" than he " once 
believed and taught * * in the world to come." Third, 
"Those who have been intromitted" — that is introduced, or, 
have admission — "to the spirit world" have "truly" under- 
gone a change which he compares with the apostle's statement 
concerning those who are "in Christ." In other words, to be 
inducted into communion with these spirits is equal, if not 
superior, to what the christian calls, in Christ. 



68 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS: 

Fourth, — " No stories of the Christian millennium, ever 
equalled the realities" which he "now daily" has "brought 
to" his " external senses." Thus the personal reign of Christ 
in his glory, with his saints made immortal — the earth re- 
stored to its Eden state — sin and the curse removed, have all 
faded away before this " light? for which Mr. S. so ardently 
prayed, and said " no matter how it comes." A fearful prayer ! 
and a fearful answer it has been ! But he does not stop here. 
Fifth, — Nearly all the miracles Christ wrought in confirma- 
ion of the gospel of the kingdom of God, are claimed as being 
wrought by himself through Pathetism, in which he now says, 
he has been aided by these spirits. At this point Mr. S. ap- 
proaches a little nearer to blaspheming Christ than at any other. 
He quotes the words of Jesus, though without giving credit, 
and applies them to the wonders himself has performed in 
cu^es by " Pathetism." 

Sixth, — "To the poor, the gospel is preached," says Mr. S. 
But what gospel it is his words show us. It is the "gospel" 
of " communion with spirits," which, he says is " better" than 
that which proclaims " the christian millennium ! ! " Now, the 
proclamation of the " christian millennium" is identical with 
preaching " the kingdom of God." Preaching the kingdom 
of God was the work of Jesus Christ and his apostles. Mr. S. 
has " another gospel'' — a " better" one, he says; but an apos- 
tle has said — " Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach 
any other gospel unto you than that we have preached, let him 
be accursed" These spirits now making manifestations, which 
so delight Mr. S., and others, do * preach another gospel," 
which their devotees says, is " better" than that preached by 
Christ and his apostles. Agninst this blasphemous assumption 
we raise our warning voice : and let all who value Eternal Life 
beware of all interceurse with these lying spirits, who are now 
abroad doing their last work of deception. Let none deceive 
themselves by the supposition that there is no reality in these 
manifestations. We believe they are real. On that point we 
have no controversy with the advocates of this new develop- 
ment ; we admit the facts they affirm ; but we deny the char- 
acter the spirits claim, and that their worshipers contend for. 
In our mind there is not a doubt they are the embryotic de- 
velopment, or forerunners of the advent of the real Antichrist 



HOW THE SOUNDS ARE PRODUCED. 69 

— the "Man of Sin." Whoever, therefore, shuts his eyes to 
the fact, that there is a real " communion with spirits" now 
going on, and to become general, may find " that day" has 
" come upon" him " as a snare," and he may not " be able to 
escape." We live in a fearful period for those who have had 
the gospel of Christ and do not heed it. Those who have not 
received and obeyed it, or who do not " watch]' as Christ com- 
manded, are to be taken in a " strong delusion," and " believe 
a lie, because they received not the love of the truth" of Christ's 
coming and kingdom. This last deceiving power will be " after 
the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying 
wonders." 

Let us beware, then, that we are not carried away with it on 
the one hand, nor on the other be so indifferent to it as to be lulled 
into a worldly security, and thus be as fatally ruined. For 
those whom Satan cannot rouse to active service in his last 
great work of deception, he will strive to lull to sleep now : and 
the words of our soon coming Lord Jesus Christ are to lay on 
our minds with power — " What I say unto you, I say unto 
all, Watch." 

Mr. Sunderland says, in his paper, p. 185: 
" We know that the spirits of angels write letters and sen- 
tences. They not only do this by moving human hands, but 
they do it without human hands. This we know to be the 
fact. It has been done in our family many, very many times." 
We do not call in question Mr. Sunderland's veracity at all 
in the matter; we doubt not he states the truth. Again he 
saith, same page : 

" That it is possible for angels to make articulate sounds, so 
as to evolve words to the external ear, is certain, as it has been 
done in our family and elsewhere." 

Here again we accord to him truthfulness ; but we regret he 
had not appealed to the Bible, which shows that angels did 
appear to men and converse with them in a most familiar man- 
ner in olden times. They may have appeared to and talked 
with Mr. Sunderland or his " family ; " we shall not question 
it. We think they would act much more consistently to "evolve 
words," distinctly, " to the external ear " than to be thumping 
floors, tables, &c. But of course their worshipers are not at 
first prepared for words plainly uttered. We say worshipers, 



70 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS: 

for it is as perfectly manifest to our mind that the devotees to 
this "spiritual development" are " worshipers of angels," as 
it is that the sincere Christian is a worshiper of the living and 
true God. In this matter is that saying of our Lord true, 
that "the children of this world are in their generation wiser 
than the children of light." Only think ! a company of spirit- 
worshipers assemble together, form their circle, sit in silence, 
striving to be perfectly resigned to the will of the spirits, and 
waiting in this manner for hours to get responses, or to have 
communications! The most devoted Christian can hardly be 
induced, under any circumstances, to humble himself and wait 
in this manner. We cannot help thinking when we hear of 
these circles thus waiting, of the language of Satan to our 
Lord, " If thou wilt fall down and. worship me, all shall be 
thine." This patient " worshiping of angels, intruding into 
those things which he hath not seen," was practised in Paul's 
time; and such, he says, practised "a voluntary humility," 
but were "vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind: " Col. 2: 18. 
It was not spirituality that led to this course, but want of it; 
it was the flesh, that instrument of Satan ; it is a departing 
from God, and becoming " subject to ordinances after the com 
mandments and doctrines of men." We have no hesitatioi 
in saying, that all the circles of which we aie speaking, art 
circles of devil worshipers; and it is no wonder if their lord 
and master, into whose service they so solemnly initiate them- 
selves, should write to them, or " evolve words to " their " ex- 
ternal ear," when he has sealed up their hearts against God and 
his Christ. It is very true Satan seldom ever appears as Satau 
to those whom he dupes. Why should he ? He knew bettei 
than to do so the very first time he ever practised his arts on 
the human race; he took then an unsuspected position, and 
hid himself in the serpent, a beast, not then unlovely as now, 
but the most wise of " any beast of the field." His object then, 
professionally, was to make man wiser — give him more know- 
ledge or light — and make him happier than his Creator had 
done. Thus man was seduced from perfect confidence in God 
his maker, to rely upon a quicker process for knowledge than 
Jehovah saw good for him. So now, " fall down and worship 
me " is the language of the spirit-rappers, " and all shall be 
thine" — all the knowledge of the " spheres above" you! 



HOW THE SOUNDS ARE PRODUCED. VI 

Mistaken devotees ! Their ways are ways of death ! We write 
not now for their benefit, though we sincerely pity them, but 
if by any means we may save some unsuspecting souls from 
the awful pit to which they are hastening, who go after or 
follow this Satanic development, thinking it may be "an angel 
of light." 

First : It is settled in our minds that there is " no knowledge 
in sheol," the state of the dead; for "the dead praise not the 
Lord " — " in sheol who shall give Thee thanks ? " Eccl. 9 : 
10; Psa. 115: 17; and 6: 5. This point being settled, these 
communications are not from any of the human race who once 
lived in the flesh. Then, second : "Who are they ? They are 
not angels of God, or good angels, because they do lie ; if in 
no other particular, they do so in affirming they are the spirits 
of dead men, and advancing in knowledge, in plain contradic- 
tion to the Spirit of God in the Bible. There is then only one 
alternative, either to maintain that the whole manifestation is 
sleight of hand, practised by some secret art, or it is the work 
of the devil. We are satisfied it is the latter; in other words, 
that though there may be deception connected with some of 
the professed manifestations, there is really a working out of 
Satanic power, that some having rejected God's truth, may 
believe a lie and perish. . 

But who is to blame for this deception coming on man ? 
We unhesitatingly answer, those who teach man has an im- 
mortal soul that survives death, and is more knowing than 
while in the body. These have laid the foundation, and sup-- 
plied the materials for this Satanic development. We give 
the following specimen of the effects of this immortal soul 
theory, showing how it makes void the resurrection, and con- 
verts God's "judgment of condemnation'''' into a theme of 
thanksgiving. We cut it from an orthodox paper. Here it is, 
just as it is headed in that paper : 

"Consoling Idea of Death. — 'I congratulate you and my- 
self,' wrote John Foster to a friend, ' that life is passing fast 
away. What a superlatively grand and consoling idea is that 
of death ! Without this radiant idea, this delightful morning 
star, indicating that the luminary of eternity is going to rise, 
life would to my view darken into midnight melancholy. Oh ! 
the expectation of living here, and living thus, always, would 



72 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS: 

be indeed a prospect of overwhelming despair. But thanks to 
that decree that dooms us to die — thanks to that gospel which 
opens the vision of an endless life, and thanks, above all, to 
that Savior friend who has promised to conduct all the faithful 
through the sacred trance of death into scenes of everlasting 
delight.'" 

Where has the Savior promised to conduct any man 
" through the sacred trance of death into scenes of everlasting 
delight?" He that believeth in Christ he hath promised, "I 
will raise him up at the last day" It is a monstrous perver- 
sion of God's truth to use it as is done in this " consoling idea 
of death." Praising God for " dooming us to die!" What 
blasphemy this! Death was a penalty — a fearful penalty; 
but the serpent preached, " Ye shall not surely die " — you are 
immortal ; but this idea substantially passes for truth among 
Christians, and they are now reaping the fruits of such teach- 
ing in the " rapping spirits," which bids fair to sweep many 
professors of religion down the whirlpool to perdition. 



A REAL PHENOMENON. 

In view of the testimony already presented, we are constrained, 
as we have before intimated, to regard this mysterious develop- 
ment as a real phenomenon, whatever deceptions may have 
been practised. For it is impossible to believe that so many 
men of distinguished intelligence and judgment, and whose in- 
tegrity is above suspicion, should be guilty of so monstrous a 
collusion as we must charge them with, if this matter is all a 
cheat; and if it is a mere trick, or sleight of hand and ventrilo- 
quism, it fe unaccountable that some one has not discovered that 
fact, and exposed it. But it has not been done. Men of dis- 
cernment, in different and distant parts of the country, and 
without any knowledge of each other, have tested the matter 
by all the means they could invent, and they have all come to 
the same general conclusion, viz : that these manifestations are 



A REAL PHENOMENON. V3 

produced by some real agency, or agencies, but they could not 
tell positively what. 

We take the same ground in relation to these manifestations 
that we do in relation to any other development, and feel bound 
to test them by the same law, viz : that there never was and 
never can be an effect without a cause ; also, that every cause 
will produce its legitimate effect ; and that every effect will in- 
dicate, in some way, the cause that produces it. 

Again, that the only means by which we can determine the 
truth or falsity of a thing, is by evidence pro or con; and this 
evidence conveys itself to our minds through some of the five 
senses. To deny what is proved by our own senses, or by the 
senses of other persons, upon whose testimony we can rely, is 
to outrage common sense. Let us apply this rule to the sub- 
iect under consideration, and men's eyes will be opened, and 
scepticism will flee apace. 

For any man, who has investigated these matters, to deny the 
reality of these rappings, moving of tables, chairs, beds, pianos, 
&c, he must deny the testimony of his own eyes, ears and 
feeling, and the testimony of impartial witnesses who have test- 
ed them in every form, and under every variety of circumstan- 
ces: and furthermore, to believe that this phenomenon is pro- 
duced by human agency alone, would be just as absurd. And 
all who have labored to show that it is a humbug, and produced 
by human agency alone, have shown themselves to be the 
greatest humbugs, or at least, greatly humbugged. No, reader, 
what we have presented, and may present on this subject* are 
facts, and are but the beginning of what might be said, or of 
what will be seen. 
4 






74 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS.* 



THE DECEPTIVE CHARACTER OF THESE MANIFESTATIONS. 

While we contend for the reality of these manifestations, we 
at the same time believe, a ad are prepared to show, that they 
are deceptive, that is, that they are not what they profess to be. 

Q. Whom do these spirits invariably declare themselves to 
be? 

A. They declare themselves to be the spirits of the dead ;say 
of Paul, Peter, John, James, of the Patriarchs, Prophets, Dr. 
Franklin, Thomas Paine, Washington, relatives or friends, chil- 
dren, &c. 

They not only declare that they are the spirits of the dead, 
but that they are alive and conscious, and take cognizance of 
human affairs, and that they are happy : also, that they are in 
the society of angels, of Christ and of God. They claim to 
have knowledge of all that is going on among men, and to dis- 
cern all the most secret thoughts and purposes of our minds, 
and to have the power to make communications and hold inter- 
course with men in various ways, as by raps, writing, &c. 

Now, their declaration, that they are the spirits of the dead 
is a lie. We make this charge openly and fearlessly ; we make 
it against the whole race of these invisible demons ; and we shall 
substantiate the charge by the highest authority known to men. 

Job says of the dead : " His sons come to honor, and he know- 
eth it not ; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not 
of them." — Job, xiv. 21. 

If this testimony is true, these spirits are liars ; for they tes- 
tify that the dead know all about the condition of the living. 
Now, which shall we believe ? Both cannot be true. 

Solomon says : " The dead know not anything, neither have 
they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten; 
also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perish- 



THEIR DECEPTIVE CHARACTER. 75 

ed ; neither have they any more a portion for ever, in anything 
that is done under the sun." — Eccl. ix. 5, 6. 

David's testimony accords with that of Job and Solomon. 
He says : " In death there is no remembrance of thee." — Psa. 
vi. 5. " The dead praise not the Lord." — Psa. cxv. 17. " Put 
not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there 
is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth ; 
in that very day his thoughts perish." — cxlvi. 4, 5. 

Here is the concurrent testimony of three unimpeachable 
witnesses to the fact, that the dead have no knowledge/ There- 
fore, the testimony of these rapping spirits, with regard to them- 
selves, is false ; and the reader, if he is a believer in the Bible, 
will not regard it a misnomer, if we call them lying spirits! 
Their mission seems to be like that of the " unclean spirits" 
mentioned in the Apocalypse — " to deceive the whole world." 
The friends of these spirits will not think our judgment very 
unjust, when they remember that the spirits themselves confess, 
(when they get detected in falsehoods, that their friends must 
see and believe to be such,) that some of the spirits are liars, or 
at least, are so weak in intellect, or moral principle, that, from 
ignorance or habit, they are as apt to lie as tell the truth-; also, 
that even those of them who are accounted the most respecta- 
ble, sometimes lie, on purpose, either to cheat, or trifle with those 
whom they pretend are insincere. 

We witnessed a case, not long since, in the city of Rochester, 
that will illustrate this. We went, in company with three 
other friends,'to hear the spirits rap, at the house of one of our 
most respectable citizens. The lady of the house had invited 
us, and we were treated very kindly. One of our company 
asked if the spirit of his father was present ? No answer. He 
then asked if the spirit of his mother was present ? An affirm- 
ative answer was given by a rap. He then asked what pur- 
ported to be the spirit of his mother, if she knew the spirit of 



76 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS I 

his father in the spirit world ? A. Yes. Q. How long have 
you been in the spirit world ? No answer. Q. Do you attend 
me constantly ? A. Yes. Q. Do you sympathise with him, 
and try to comfort his mind ? (by the lady of the house.) 
A. Yes. Q. Do you know that I am troubled with a pain in 
my face ? A. Yes. Q. Can you do anything to remove the 
pain from his face, and will you if he will let you ? (by the lady 
of the house.) A. Yes. Many other questions were asked, 
and as promptly answered. The "medium" and other mem- 
bers of the family appeared very much pleased ; the responses 
were so prompt, and, apparently, satisfactory. Our friend did 
not undeceive them till our interview had closed ; he then told 
them his mother was not dead! The family appeared sur- 
prised for a moment ; but an explanation was soon ready. Said 
the lady, "You appeared to be sincere; but if you was not, 
you might expect to be deceived." 

We have heard and read of many cases similar to this ; and 
we have been told by believers in these spirits that they are in 
the habit of doing so. 

Lest the reader may think our friend's questions were an- 
swered by some person present, and only guessed at, we would 
add, that we too — the spirits having signified, in answer to 
the lady's question, that they would converse with us — in- 
quired if any of the spirits of our friends were present, and were 
answered by a rap. We asked whose spirit it was, naming 
several of our deceased friends, and got no affirmative reply till 
we asked, Is it George ? A. Yes. We then asked a great 
many questions about matters of which no one present knew 
anything except ourself, and they were invariably answered 
correctly. Some intelligent being answered our questions ; it 
was not any member of that family, nor any one of the three 
friends who went with us ; neither was it the spirit of my son 
George, who died at the age of sixteen months, because he is 



THEIR DECEPTIVE CHARACTER. 77 

dead ! and, like all the rest of the dead, " KNOWS NOT 
ANYTHING." 

But it may be replied, The bodies of the dead do not know 
anything ; yet their spirits may be alive and have as much 
knowledge as these rapping spirits have. We answer, This 
hypothesis is entirely cut off by the testimony we have pre- 
sented ; for David says, In the very day a man's bre-ath goes 
forth, or he dies, "HIS THOUGHTS PERISH." Hence, as 
soon as a man dies, every part of his being loses the power of 
thinking. There is no escape from this conclusion, if we credit 
the testimony of Job, David, and Solomon. Besides, those 
who believe that the soul survives the death of the body, also 
believe that the body never had the power of thinking ; hence, 
as it never had any thoughts, it would be absurd to say its 
thoughts perish when it dies. But the meaning is obvious ; 
the whole man dies, and death terminates, or suspends, all 
intelligence, so that in sheol, or hades, the state of the dead, 
there is "no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom." 
Eccl. ix. 10. 

This is reasonable. Who can see any consistency in the 
opinion that death is nothing but a higher order of life ? We 
see the ravages of death throughout the vegetable and animal 
kingdoms. When a bush, laden with fresh and beautiful 
roses, is plucked up or cut down, so that it can no longer de- 
rive nourishment from its parent soil, it dies. This law pre- 
vails throughout the whole vegetable creation, from the most 
tiny plant to the most gigantic tree. The same may be said 
of the brute creation. From the smallest insect to the hugest 
monster, all die. We w T ould call a man mad who should con- 
tend that every plant and every beast passes at death into a 
higher and more perfect life. No; everybody knows that 
death terminates their life. Why, then, we ask, is it not so 
with man ? Why should death mean a more perfect life in his 



78 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS: 

case alone? Nature forbids it ; Scripture forbids it. So far 
as can be discovered, the principle of life in man is tbe same 
as in tbe rest of the animal creation ; and when he dies, we 
know not why he is not as really dead as they. The idea of 
death that we thus derive from observation, accords precise]y 
with its definition given by Noah Webster, viz. : " That state 
of a being, animal or vegetable, but more particularly of an 
animal, in which there is a total and permanent cessation of all 
the vital functions, when the organs have not only ceased to 
act, but have lost the susceptibility of renewed action." 

In this view of death, the doctrine of the resurrection of the 
dead has a meaning ; but if man never dies, he can never be 
raised from the dead. Hence these spirits, and many professed 
Christians deny the doctrine of the resurrection, as taught in 
the Scriptures. Some make it an improvement in character ; 
others, the escape of the real man from the body at death 
But if the resurrection is only an improvement in character — 
a passing from death in trespasses and sins, to a life of holi- 
ness — it applies only to wicked persons ; and they alone can 
have a resurrection : but the Scriptures promise a resurrection 
to believers, therefore this view of the resurrection is not cor- 
rect. Again, the escape of an immortal soul from the body, like 
a bird from its cage, leaving the body to perish for ever, would 
be no resurrection of the dead ; for in that case it is claimed 
that nothing comes to life that ever was dead or ever could die. 

A third and most prevalent theory of the resurrection is, 
that it applies exclusively to the body — that the soul escapes 
at death and goes to the spirit land, where it remains till the 
end of the world, when the body will be raised from the 
dead and immortalized, and the soul return into it. But 
this view is refuted by the argument of Paul in 1 Cor. xv. At 
verses 16-18, he says, "For if the dead rise not, then is 
Christ not raised ; and if Christ be not raised, your faith is 



THEIR DECEPTIVE CHARACTER. 79 

vain ; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are 
fallen asleep in Christ are perished." 

According to the theory now under consideration, the 
righteous dead are not perished, even though they never have 
a resurrection ; for it is claimed that their souls, the essential 
part of their being, are incapable of death, and, without a re- 
surrection and free from the body, are in the enjoyment of 
unspeakable felicity. The reader will see that this theory is 
in direct hostility with the language of the apostle quoted 
above. Which is true ? Without a resurrection, the righteous 
dead "ARE PERISHED!" The atonement is of no avail. 
This brief life terminates man's existence for ever. The hope 
of an endless life is like an airy dream, pleasing, but false. No 
matter what our character, we perish when we die, and the 
shades of oblivion rest upon us for ever. Time runs its race, 
eternity succeeds, and stretches on its countless ages to an 
infinity of duration ; but we are no more ! Nay, nay ! Though 
a man die, yet he shall live again. Jesnse has died ; yea, rather, 
is risen again, the first-fruits of them that sleep ; and thus is 
given to believers a pledge of future life, to whjch they will 
attain by the resurrection from the dead. 

With the exception of Enoch and Elijah, who were translated 
without death, and those, the " mystery " of whose change at the 
seventh trump Paul exclaims in 1 Cor. xv. 51-57, and 1 Thess. 
iv. 13-18, we can gain the future life only by the resurrection 
from the dead, which will not be the result of a law of nature, 
but will be effected by the power of God. These rapping spirits 
pretend that man enters upon the realities of the future life 
immediately at death, and in harmony with that, that there 
will be no resurrection of the body. 

As their testimony is in opposition to the Scriptures, we do 
not hesitate to pronounce them false witnesses. And, in view 
of what the Scriptures say of the state of the dead, it is certain 



80 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS: 

that these spirits are not the spirits of the dead. This we con- 
sider proved ; yet we shall present further testimony hereafter" 
We will here inquire : — 

WHAT IS SPIRIT ? AND WHAT SPIRITS ARE THESE ? 

The primary meaning of spirit is "wind; air in motion; 
hence, breath." — Webster. Thus God breathed into man's 
nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul, that is, 
a living being. — Gen. ii. 7. No one will claim that the breath 
is intelligent and immortal, and is conscious when the body 
is dead. Bnt, some one may say, the spirit of man is some- 
thing more than this. We reply, How do yon know it is ? It 
is sometimes applied figuratively to the mind and affections : 
but so is the heart, the head, the hand ; and we might as well 
claim that either one of them is immortal, and capable of think- 
ing, independent of the body, as that the spirit is. In a few 
instances the name is applied to the whole man. God is called 
a Spirit, Angels, when considered as God's messengers, are 
sometimes called spirits. This use of the term does not imply 
impersonality any more in God and Angels, than in man. 

The name spirit is also applied to Devils. " When the un- 
clean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, 
seeking rest, and findeth none. * * * * Thengoeth he, 
and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than 
himself, and they enter in and dwell there." — Matt. xii. 43, 
45. " There was a man, who had a spirit of an unclean devil, 
and he cried with a loud voice, saying, Let us alone, what have 
we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth ? Art thou come 
to destroy us ? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One o\ 
God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and 
come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in th* 
midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not. And they were 
all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word 



WHAT ARE THESE SPIRITS? 81 

is this ! for with authority and power he commandeth the un- 
clean spirits, and they came out." — Luke iv. 33 — 36. " And 
when he was come to the other side, into the country of the 
Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, — [un- 
clean spirits, — Mark v. 1 — 15,] coming out of the tombs, ex- 
ceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. And 
behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, 
Jesus, thou Son of God ? Art thou come hither to torment us be- 
fore the time ?" — Matt. viii. 28, 29. " My name is Legion : for we 
are many." — Mark v. 9. " And the seventy returned again 
with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us thro' 
thy name. And he said unto them, * * * Rejoice not, 
that the spirits are subject unto you ; but rather rejoice because 
your names are written in heaven !" — Luke x. 17 — 20. 

In these and kindred passages, the words " spirits," (ta pneu- 
mata,) and "devils" (daimones,) are used interchangeably. 
Daimon is from daio, which, from its primitive meaning to di- 
vide, separate, distribute, comes to mean to know. The dai- 
mones, or demons, then, were the knowing ones. Daimon is 
defined by Greenfield, — "A god, tutelary genius ; hence, a 
malignant demon, ^vil angel, devil ;" — by Liddell and Scott, 
— 1, A god, goddess. 2, The Deity, divine essence; fate, des- 
tiny, fortune. 3, The Souls of men of the golden age, hovering 
between heaven and earth, and acting as tutelary deities. In 
the ancient mythology, the demons formed the connecting link 
between gods and men: in later writers, departed souls in gene- 
ral, like the Latin manes. 4, In the New Testament, an evil 
spirit, devil. 

Those demons used to play all sorts of mischief with the peo- 
ple. They appear to have been everywhere, and to have known 
everything that was going on, and even to have had some 
knowledge of the future, perhaps derived from prophecy. They 
were disturbed by the presence of Christ, and he controlled 
4* 



82 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS: 

them. On one occasion, one of them adjured him in the name 
of God not to torment him. — Mark v. 7. 

These rapping spirits, we conclude, are, at least, near kins 
to those demons : the family resemblance is strong. We have 
proved that they cannot be the spirits of dead men ; for they 
know nothing. They cannot be the angels of God; for they 
would not lie, nor contradict God's word. Then, what are they % 
A herd of devils ! Beware, reader, how you do them homage. 
At a circle in Auburn, N. Y., not long since, a Mr. Brown, a 
believer, asked, " Who are you, and what is your name V 
Ans. " My name is Legion !" So answered they our Savior, 
see Mark v. 9. Mr. Brown then asked what would become of 
them that the spirits had induced to go to Virginia last fall ? 
Ans. " I will have them all, and you too." 

All the Phenomena connected with this spirit rapping and 
writing can be accounted for on this hypothesis, but it cannot, 
we conceive, upon any other. Some things can be explained on 
the principles of human magnetism, but all cannot : whereas, the 
science of demonology can account for the paternity of all these 
wonders, and cite precedents — the gentle and the violent, the 
pious and the impious, the visible and the invisible, the mute and 
the vocal. 

As these demons were especially active at the time of our 
Savior's first advent; so now, as the time for his second coming 
approaches, old Beelzebub is marshalling his troop of subordi- 
nate devils, that, by all sorts of ingenious manoeuvres, they may 
captivate the whole world. They have already succeeded to a 
great extent ; but few will escape their wiles, for their signs and 
wonders will be still more wonderful. 



THE OBJECTS OF THESE COMMUNICATIONS, &C 83 



THE CHIEF OBJECTS OF THESE COMMUNICATIONS ARE, TO TEACH 
THE DOCTRINE OF THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL, AND THE 
SALVATION OF ALL MEN. 

We have already given some evidence on these points, but 
we here add more. The following is from " Explanation and 
History." Its authors are evidently disciples of Swedenborg : 

" We find nothing alarming in the theological teachings of 
these spirits. Others may. On these points there will be dif- 
ferences among men until they reach a more perfect state of 
knowledge than they at present possess. Their general theology 
is that of Davis, Swedenborg, and others who have claimed to 
receive their impressions from spirits. They generally use the 
term higher and lower spheres instead of Heaven and Hell. 
They say that all persons pass to a condition superior to that 
which they occupied here, on their leaving the body. Thou- 
sands of questions have been asked on these points, have been 
answered by spirits who purported to be Emanuel Sweden- 
borg, the " Seeress of Prevorst," George Fox, Lorenzo Dow, 
Galen, William E. Channing, Nathaniel P. Rogers, John Wes- 
ley, Samuel Wesley, and many others. 

"It may be well to remark that many times when these spirits 
are communicating, the alphabet will be called for, and some 
name, perhaps one of the above, and perhaps some other, 
spelled, as the one who wishes to communicate. Often it is a 
name which the company had not thought of. They generally 
deliver some useful and interesting message when such is the 
case. The following are questions which are frequently asked, 
and we give the answers as they were spelled out. We might 
fill a volume with questions and answers : 

" Q. What is your mission to the world ? 

" A. To do good. The time will come when we will commu- 
nicate universally. 

" Q. Of what benefit will it be to mankind ? 

" A. We can reveal truths to the world ; and men will become 
more harmonious, and better prepared for the higher spheres. 

"Q. Some persons imagine that the spirits are evil, and that 
Satan is transformed into an angel of light to deceive us. What 
shall we say to them ? 



84 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS: 

"A. Tell them some of their bigotry will have to be dis- 
pensed with before they can believe we are good spirits. Ask 
them why they refuse to investigate. They are not as wise as 
they suppose themselves to be. 

"Q. Can ignorant spirits rap? 

"A. Yes. (An ignorant spirit rapped and the difference 
was very plain between that and the other). 

" Q. Are these sounds made by rapping ? 

"A. No. They are made by the will of the spirits causing 
a concussion of the atmosphere, and making the sounds appear 
in whatever place they please. 

"Q. Can they make the sounds to all persons? 

"A. No. The time will come when they can. 

"Q. Is there some peculiar state of the body that makes it 
easier to communicate with some persons than others ? 

"A. Yes. 

" On one occasion a spirit purporting to be Lorenzo Dow 
gave the. following definition of Hell: 

" ' The Universalists say that Hell is the grave. This is not 
so. The Presbyterians say that it is a place of fire and brim- 
stone that burns the soul for ever. This is not so. The hell 
is man's own body, and when he escapes from that he escapes 
from bondage.' " 

In another place the same work says : 

" Besides this, we have the testimony of clairvoyants almost 
without number, in almost every neighborhood, who are in 
private circles developing the great facts here set forth, while 
their names are unknown to the world ; but the incontestible 
evidence they afford of their power to point out persons never 
known to them in their normal state, who have passed into the 
world of spirits, and their plain and artless descriptions of that 
state, is having an influence in their respective circles w r hich 
cannot but put any one acquainted with the facts strongly in 
mind of Swedenborg's prophecy, that the year 1852 would be 
one that would decide the fate of his church or his doctrines. 
The probabilities now seem to be that his general spiritual 
theory will, not far from that time, be very generally received." 

As the doctrines of these spirits are, on the whole, of the 



• THE OBJECTS OP THESE COMMUNICATIONS, <kC. 85 

Swedenborgian type, we give the following from the Western 
Watchman, as illustrative of their general character : 

u Those who are acquainted with the writings of Swedenborg 
are aware that he presumes to lift the veil that hides from our 
view the condition of departed souls, and pretends to tell who 
is happy, and who is miserable, in the spiritual world. He 
represents Luther and Calvin as lost beyond hope* Nor does 
he stop here. Knowing that the writings of the apostle Paul 
give the lie to his pretended revelations, he attempts to invalidate 
their authority by saying that the condition of Paul is also 
deplorably bad, ' though he does not quite assert that his state 
is finally, irrevocably hopeless ! ' 

" The wonder is, that such blasphemies should ever have 
found an abettor, or even a reader. Yet, strange as it may 
seem, there are persons in this land of Gospel light, who at- 
tempt to defend, and reiterate these abominable sentiments. A 
late number of the New Church Repository, in an article 
written by the editor, George Bush, formerly a professor in 
one or two theological seminaries, and, we believe, a Presby- 
terian, attempts to defend and confirm this Swedenborgian 
blasphemy, by saying that Paul taught error, and therefore, as 
he ' was so far not in genuine truth, and if not in genuine 
truth, he could not have been in genuine good ! ' The evidence 
that the apostle 'was not in genuine truth,' Professor Bush 
finds in the fact that Paul taught the ' so termed " doctrines 
of grace " — vicarious atonement — sovereign election — in- 
stantaneous regeneration — imputed righteousness — justifica- 
tion by faith alone — and the whole catalogue of kindred 
tenets.' And he frankly adds : 

" ' For ourselves we are free to acknowledge that we recog- 
nize in the Epistle of Paul the greatest of all obstacles to the 
spread of the New Church, nor until tho authority attached, 
in the mind of Christendom, to those Epistles be weakened, 
do we see how the doctrines of that church are ever to accom- 
plish their transforming work in the world.' 

"Who can wish to know anything more of Swedenborgian ism, 
after such a confession from its chief expounder, in order to be 
convinced that it came from the father of lies ? Let Professor 
Bush set himself about the task of overthrowing the credit of 



86 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS: 

the apostle Paul's writings. He will find it ' hard to kick 
against the pricks.' n 

So far as we are informed, these Spirits and their devotees 
do, in a similar way, reject the Bible. Though to believers in 
the Bible they pretend to believe it in a certain sense, yet, when 
tested, you will find them ready to ride down any portion of it 
by the revelations of the spirits. In further illustration of this, 
as well as of the subject under consideration, viz., that the chief 
object of these revelations is to teach the immortality of the 
soul, and universal salvation, we give the following communica- 
tion: 

FROM THE SPIRIT OF SWEDENBORG. 

At the visit which we made with three other friends at a 
house in Rochester, where these rappings are heard, of which 
we have spoken before, one of the friends who went with us ex- 
pressed his desire to converse with Swedenborg. The question 
was asked, if the spirit of Swedenborg was present ? Ans. Yes, 
by a loud rap, which the lady of the house said she well knew 
as Swedenborg's. Will Swedenborg converse with this gentle- 
man ? Ans. Yes. The spirits did not use the alphabet at this 
house ; so all the answers were made by raps. The kind lady 
having thus introduced our friend to what purported to be the 
spirit of Swedenborg, the conversation began. Q. Is it one of 
the principal objects of these communications, to convince men 
of the immortality of the soul ? A. Yes. Q. Why are these 
communications made more now than formerly ? Is it because 
that doctrine is more doubted now? A. Yes. Q. Are all 
spirits happy ? No answer. Q. Are all spirits comparatively 
happy ? A. Yes. Q. Are any miserable ? No answer. Q. 
Are we to understand you that none of the spirits in the spirit 
world are really miserable ? A. Yes. [This is what they have 
always told us, said the lady.] Q. Do the spirits have the same 



FROM THE SPIRIT OF SWEDENBORG. 87 

organization, members and passions, as their bodies had ; and 
are they governed by motives as they were in this life ? A. 
Yes. Q, Will the time come when they will manifest them- 
selves, so that we can see them with our natural eyes ? A. 
Yes. Q. Are tables moved by spirits, by means of electricity ? 
A. Yes. Q. By repulsion? A. Yes. Q. By condensation ? 
A. Yes. Q. Are human and natural magnetism the same, and 
governed by the same laws ? A. Yes. 

Our friend then wished to have an interview with the Apos- 
tle Paul, and asked Swedenborg if he was acquainted with the 
spirit of Paul? A. Yes. Q. Is he present? No answer. 
Q. Can you bring him here? A. Yes. Q. Will you? A. 
Yes. While the spirit of Swedenborg was gone for Paul, the 
lady of the house, who had been very much interested in our 
conversation with Swedenborg, showed signs of discontent. 
Presently our friend inquired, Is the spirit of Paul present? A. 
Yes. Q. Will he communicate with us ?— — The lady could 
restrain her feelings of resentment against the Apostle no longer, 
and she broke out, " Paul knows I don't like him very well. He 
wrote a good many bad things against the women. He was a 
-old bachelor. I repudiate many things he wrote," &c. 

So we were obliged to forego an interview with the chief 
Apostle ; for he took umbrage, as she said, at her treatment, and 
would respond no more. She said the spirits would not com- 
municate, unless they were treated respectfully. What influ- 
ence the wills of the persons present may have, we cannot say : 
but we judge it is necessary that they should be passive, at least, 
that they should not make resistance by then wills. Other 
spirits communicated, corroborating Swedenborg's answers, and 
denying the doctrine of the resurrection of the body, and affirm- 
ing that death applies only to the body, that the soul escapes 
from it into a higher, freer life, and will exist forever, increasing 
in knowledge and happiness. 



88 mysterious manifestations: 

In further confirmation of the views above expressed in regard 
to the doctrines inculcated by these spirits, we will give a few 
extract? 'Vom a work just published in this city, entitled, " The 
Pilgrimage of Thomas Paine and others to the seventh circle in 
the Spirit World. Rev. Charles Hammond, Medium. 

The demon that moved the hand of Mr. Hammond to write 
this work, made a failure in trying to imitate the style of 
Thomas Paine, and has shown himself possessed of much less 
common sense and learning than " Tom Paine" had when alive. 
Much of the book is perfectly silly; and, as a literary production, 
saying nothing of its doctrines, Mr. Paine would have felt insult- 
ed to have had its authorship attributed to him. Mr. Ham- 
mond is a Universalist minister, and says in the title page he 
has been " connected with the ministry for over twenty-two 
years." The whole " Pilgrimage" is a covert effort to inculcate 
the doctrines of Universalism, whether by his own choice, or by 
by his master demon, we cannot say, but we presume by both, 
agreeing and working together. 

In the title page, [page seven] Mr. Hammond says : " I had 
no will to write it. * * * * Indeed, I have found by 
actual experiment that, in a great many instances, the spirit who 
controls my hand has succeeded in writing sentences contrary 
to my will, and while I was endeavoring with all my volition to 
write something else." 

Mr. Paine was a good scholar, a practical writer, and an au- 
thor of several ably -written works, such as, his "Common 
Sense," " The Crisis," " Rights of Man," and " Age of Reason." 
For his tract on " Common Sense," the Legislature of Pennsyl- 
vania voted him five hundred pounds. He was for a while edi- 
tor of the Pennsylvania Magazine, and was after that elected by 
Congress as Clerk to the committee on foreign affairs, and held 
several other offices connected with the general government, and 
with that of Pennsylvania. Having all these advantages to start 



PILGRIMAGE OF THOMAS PAINE, AC. 89 

with, we should expect, after forty-three years' experience in the 
Spirit World, he would bring out a work correct in composition 
and style, and exhibiting superior intelligence and skill. We will 
give a few examples, illustrative of the literary character of the 
work. The words italicised we regard as defective in this respect : 

" Light emanates from particles of matter thrown off from 
dense globes in straight lines, which, coming in collision with 
each other, produce a concussion in such rapid succession, as 
to evolve what is called light." — p. 22 

" I was not without reverence for good, but what was good 
gave me some uneasiness to determine." — p. 24. 

" Where you may bathe in water without shore or bound." 
—p. 26. 

" No mind can will what is seen will produce its own un- 
happiness." — p. 30. 

" Teach minds this lesson, so that it shall see its relationship 
to mind."— p. 30. 

u Mind is educated in wrong by precept and example, and then 
coerced by another wrong to control it right" — p. 31. 

" Better far that all minds were uneducated, than have them 
educated in wrong." — p. 31. 

" I felt my soul overcome with the mercy of heaven." — p. 
34. [The soul of a spirit ! !] 

" The mind then sat down." — p. 36. 

" Wisdom is wise."— p. 37. [Astounding revelation! ! It 
requires seventy-two years' severe training, with, the best of ad- 
vantages in this life, and forty-three years' pilgrimage in the Spi- 
rit World, to arrive at such consummate knowledge as to know 
that wisdom is wise /] 

This the production of Thomas Paine ? No ! It is the ran- 
dom scribbling of a stupid devil, sanctified by a " Reverends" 
hand, as " light from the spirit world.'* Yet eager thou- 
sands read with awe. 



90 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS I 

If the communications in this work were " light" when they 
came from the Spirit World, they have been transformed into 
gross " darkness" in passing through the " medium." A few 
examples will show this to be so. The work opens with a " Dia- 
gram, representing the different circles and spheres in the Spirit 
World." There are three spheres, and seven circles in each 
sphere. The following explanation of the circles is given : — 
" 1. Wisdom, wholly selfish, or seeking selfish good. 2. Wis- 
dom, controlled by popular opinion. 3. Wisdom, independent 
of popularity, but not perfect. 4. Wisdom, which seeks others' 
good, and not evil. 5, Wisdom, in purity, or a circle of Purity. 
6. Wisdom, in perfection to prophecy. 7. Wisdom, to instruct 
all others of less wisdom." 

The reader needs no comment here : we only add that Mr. 
Paine has passed through the six subordinate circles, and is now 
in the seventh ; hence he is now " instructing others of less wis- 
dom." Let us hear a little of his experience. 

" The first object which I saw was my companion. [Won- 
der which, for he had three, and the last was not his, but the 
wife of De Bonneville, a French bookseller, whom Paine stole 
and brought to America.] She smiled and said, ' Thomas, thou 
hast passed over the valley ; fear no evil ; I am with thee.' I 
could see what they were doing with my body, when I was 
conversing with her. It was not over an hour after I left it, till 
my spirit was conscious of all that was passing in the house." — 
jp. 19 

With regard to the resurrection, he says : " The angel mother 
led our way to the grave, which was being dug for my re- 
mains. ' There,' said she, ' is the end of all flesh. There is the 
grave of your dust, and though it shall be deposited in it, your 
spirit will live forever. Such will be the end of all living.'" 
—p. 20 

He describes his repentance : " I was not without misgivings 



PILGRIMAGE OF THOMAS PAINE, &C. 91 

tfoat my Age of Reason sought not to gratify the mind in its 
hope of immortality. I said, ' When will the day come that 
I can make known the truth, and correct the errors of my 
work?'"— p. 20. 

The spirit of his mother replied : " The world is not yet pre- 
pared to hear such news. * * * * Be patient, therefore, 
my son ; for the coming of that day will change the gloom of 
the grave into the joy of immortal rest. It will come with won- 
der, and mind will understand that the tomb is not the home 
of the soul."— pp. 20, 21. 

He says nothing about his corrupt life, but excuses his erro- 
neous doctrines as follows : 

"My wrongs were not wrongs of injury intentional to 
others. I had erred ; and I would, if I could, have atoned 
for those errors ; but my works were not worse than those 
arrayed against me. I saw no religion worth possessing in the 
creeds of men. I was not wise, but I could not find wisdom 
in the doctrines taught by religionists. My desire was law and 
justice; but neither were commended to my judgment, in the 
forms and ceremonies of the church. A change of heart was 
more mystical to me than the mythology of the pagans. A 
wise man hath said, * wisdom is mine,' and what he said I was* 
not ashamed to allow; but I was ashamed to allow what I 
could not explain, so that others could comprehend my mean- 
ing. I was not without reverence for good, but what was good 
gave me some uneasiness to determine. My rules were isolated, 
and sometimes contradictory. .Nevertheless, I would attempt 
to draw up rules which I thought practicable, and when I saw 
what was not wise, I was never ashamed to acknowledge it." 
— jpp. 23, 24. 

He impressed the mind of a servant girl to say, in reply to 
some reflections on the ch aracter of Mr. Paine made by the 
minister who had preached his funeral sermon, " He was never 
convicted of any very great crimes that I have ever heard ; I 
wish others were as good as he." — p. 25. 

He says, " I saw my name written in the record of eternal 



92 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS I 

life ; and I was rejoiced when my errors were corrected." — 
p, 35. 

The high priest of the spirit world says to him, "Thou 
hast repented of thy sins, and thy repentance has brought thee 
to these courts to receive the joy of Well done, good and re- 
pentant servant; enter thou into the joy of thy Master, and sit 
down with us to this banquet of good things." — p. 45. 

He says his guide conducted him " to a circle whose coun- 
tenances flowed with continual brightness, and whose voices 
were sweeter than the iEolian harp," and gave him " a white 
stone with a new name therein, which ( no man knoweth but 
he that receiveth it.' " The narrative continues : 

"I received the white stone with the new name therein, 
and when I saw the name, I wondered at its meaning. 

" G. Thou needst not wonder, Thomas, for what was thy 
name in thy infancy, thou canst not bear with thee into these 
mansions of light and peace. Thou wilt, henceforth, answer 
to thy new name in this circle of wisdom. Thou wilt now 
return with me, and when thou returnest, offer this passport to 
thy Master, who will explain some things to thee why thy 
, name should be changed. 

" We returned. The cloud of mercy shone as brightly and 
gloriously when I descended, as when I ascended. I then 
gave the Master the white stone, when he said : * Thomas was 
thy name in infancy. In infancy thou didst not remain. Thou 
hast grown to the stature of a man. When thou wast a child, 
thou didst speak as a child, and understand as a child ; but now 
thou art become a man, thou shouldst put away childish things. 
Henceforth, let not thy name be called Thomas Paine ; for thou 
wilt not answer to a name which misrepresents thy true cha- 
racter, since thou hast found favor which has instructed thee to 
call no mind, ' common or unclean.* 

" T. Am I then to be called by a new name ? 

" M. Thou shalt be called by this circle a new name, which 
thou seest in the white stone thou hast received. 

" T. And wilt thou read the new name ? 

"M. 'Contentment.' Such is thy new name, because such 



PILGRIMAGE OF THOMAS PAINE, AC. 93 

is thy condition. Thou hast sought for light and perfection 
in the degree of this circle, and as thou hast found, so thou art 
contented with thy finding. Thou wilt not answer to any 
other name, when thou respondest to the call of thy fellow- 
servants. In thy infancy and childhood, thou didst call mind 
1 common and unclean,' but now thou wilt do so no more. 
Thou hast seen that thy mind was as thy fellows, but wisdom 
has shown thee that what thou hast denounced as ' unclean ' 
in thy works and by thy words, is not as thou hast said. No 
unclean thing can enter here, because light and purity will 
cleanse the immortal mind from the impurities of worldly wis- 
dom and ignorance. 

"T. But should I retain my old name when I converse 
with other circles? 

" M. Thou mayest answer, but when thou answerest, let thy 
signature be without dissimulation. Shouldst thy friend re- 
cognize thee by thy infant name, thou mayest respond; but 
when thou meetest a mind of this circle, thou wilt be hailed by 
thy new name, and respond to its announcement. 

" T. Then a new baptism may be necessary. When my 
infant name was bequeathed I was baptized. Ought I not 
now to receive a new baptism ? 

" M. Thou wilt proceed to the High Priest of this circle, 
wbo will answer thy question. 

" The guide conducted me again to the chair of the High 
Priest, who said : 

- " * I heard thy inquiry, and thou wilt listen to my answer. 
Thy baptism was not of wisdom, but of water. When thou 
wast baptized, thy mind was not affected. The outward man 
only became the subject of purification. Now thou art intro- 
duced into this circle, thou wilt be taught to put away childish 
things, and consecrate thyself to the work of benevolence. To 
aid thee in thy work, I will impress thy mind with the spirit 
of this circle; yea, I will baptize thee in a fountain, which 
comes like a pure river of water from the throne of wisdom. 
Reach forth, oh God ! from courts of more than mortal glory, 
the oil of gladness, and let thy servant be washed in the stream 
of thy mercy.' Placing his hand upon my head, he said : 
* The wisdom of God be upon thee, and give thee peace.' 

" When his hand rested on my head, I saw a stream de- 



94 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS I 

scending from wisdom's holy court, gentle as the dew of even- 
ing, and clear as the mercy of God. It came like water in 
the rising tide, and overwhelmed my mind with a flood of 
living lig-ht. I saw the stream, and the stream carried away 
the question of baptism, and left me pure from all doubt of 
its character. 

" ' Thou understandest,' said my guide, * that water baptism 
is for infancy, while the baptism of wisdom, which thou hast 
been permitted to receive, is for minds of understanding. This 
is the baptism of truth. This is the stream of divine grace. 
This is the water of life. This is the flood which shall never 
pass away. This is the sea without a shore; and Contentment 
will receive wages. Contentment is satisfaction with reward ; 
and when thou goest hence, thy reward will be with thee for 
evermore. Thou wilt now rest with us.' 

" When the guide had ended his saying, there came a song 
of sweetness. The whole circle joined in one melodious anthem 
of joy, which was followed by an ode of order. The words 
were words of sympathy. They touched my feelings. I saw 
what was my delight, a society where brotherhood was no un- 
meaning expression. I had found a kindness which no mortal 
can understand while in the body. I found a society unlike 
anything on earth. It was a society, linked in union by an 
immortal chain. It was a home, where there was bread 
enough, and to spare. It was a temple not made with hands. 
It was made by the Grand Master Builder of heaven and earth. 
Its pillars were holiness and truth, and its * chief corner stone,'' 
wisdom without imperfection. I saw what no mind can see, 
and what no language can express, in this temple. There were 
emblems of order, emblems of honor, emblems of brotherhood, 
emblems of wisdom, emblems of peace, emblems of innocence, 
and emblems of victory. ' — pp. 47-50. 

The book closes with a piece of poetry from one of the 
spirits, of which the following is a verse : 

" For what is death? 'tis but a life — 
The dawning of a new-born day ; 
With immortality 'tis rife — 
• A bliss that cannot pass away." 

This is enough to give the reader an idea of the general 



PILGRIMAGE OF THOMAS PAINE, &C. 95 

character of this last issue from the spirit world. Mr. Ham- 
mond's demon, like Pollock's priest, often " steals the livery of 
heaven to serve the devil in," using Scripture language and 
perverting it so as to convey his foul sentiments. According 
to this narrative, Mr. Paine has now attained to the highest 
circle in the spirit world : his name is " written in the record of 
eternal life," he has received the plaudit, " well done, good ser- 
vant;" he has obtained the "reward" of the faithful, and en- 
tered into eternal "joy" and felicity. That the reader may 
form his own estimate of this spiritual revelation, which is a 
fair specimen of the whole, we give the following brief descrip- 
tion of Mr. Paine's character, from the Encyclopedia of Reli- 
gious Knowledge: 

" This unhappy unbeliever died in contempt and misery. 
His disgusting vices, his intemperance and profligacy, made 
him an outcast from all respectable society. He is represented 
as irritable, vain, cowardly, filthy, envious, malignant, dishonest, 
and drunken. In the distress of his last sickness, he frequently 
called out, 'Lord Jesus! help me.' Dr. Manley asked him 
whether, from his calling so often on the Savior, it was to be 
inferred that he believed the gospel. He replied at last, ' I 
have no wish to believe on that subject.' " 

So died Thomas Paine, in the depths of abominable wicked- 
ness ; and now he is a sainted spirit in the highest circle of the 
spirit world, and has become the tutelary god of this " Rev. 
Charles Hammond" who, under his divine inspiration, is to 
enlighten the world, and elevate us poor mortals to imitate the 
perfections of his adored model — the besotted " Tom Paine !" 

All these testimonies go to show that the Bible is considered 
insufficient to prove the natural immortality of the soul ; and 
hence the need of these extra manifestations, to prove what the 
Bible fails to prove : for, did the Bible affirm the soul to be 
immortal, it would be all-sufficient. 

But, no ; the Bible affirms that man is mortal and subject to 



96 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS: 

death, and that death is ceasing to live. Is. xxxviii. 1 : " Thou 
shalt die, and not live." The dead are " as though, they had 
not been." Job iii. "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." 
Ezek. xviii. 4. 

Again, the Bible affirms that immortality, or eternal life, 
which is the same thing, is the gift of God through Jesus 
Christ, and, consequently, conditional. See Rom. vi. 23: 
" The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal 
life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Also Rom. ii. 6, 7 : 
" Who will render to every man according to his deeds: to 
them who by patient continuance in well-doing, seek for glory, 
and honor, and immortality; eternal life." Would God 
require men to seek for that which they possess already ? 

Certain it is, then, if we would possess the blessing of im- 
mortality, we must seek for it by faith in Jesus Christ. 

These spirits tell us that one of the principal objects of their 
manifestations is, to convince the world of the immortality of 
the soul ; thus carrying out the old lie of the devil — " Ye 
shall not surely die" Gen. iii. 4. 

Again, the Bible affirms — see Cor. xv. 51-57 — That 
immortality will be put on at the resurrection; and the resur- 
rection takes place at the coming of Christ. See 1 Thess. iv. 
16, 17. But these spirits deny both, and tell us that man has 
put on immortality already ; and thus give God the lie. % 

Again, the Bible affirms that the penalty of God's law is 
eternal death ; but these spirits say, no ! the soul is immortal, 
and cannot die; the body only dies, while the soul escapes: 
thus making God punish the body for what the soul has done. 



THESE SPIRITS DECLARE THAT ALL MEN WILL BE SAVED. 

But, how ? Not in God's appointed way, by grace through 
faith in Jesus, and so giving all glory to him; but by their 



DECLARE THAT ALL MEN WILL BE SAVED. 97 

own works, or by doing penance in the first or second 
sphere, in the spirit world. For they tell us that every 
spirit enters at death into one of the seven circles of 
the spirit world, according to their various characters : the 
more wicked go into the lower, and the less wicked into the 
higher circles ; and the wicked, by repentance, or doing penance, 
graduate, and go up higher, and finally all will rise by degrees 
until they all reach the highest sphere, or highest circle, and 
be for ever happy. 

Let us bring this to the test of the Bible — the standard of 
unerring truth — and it will pass away like the morning cloud 
and early dew. God has said, " He that believeth and is bap- 
tized shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned." 
Mark xvi. 16. Again, "The wicked shall perish, and the 
enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs ; they shall 
consume ; into smoke shall they consume away." — 
Ps. xxxvii. 20. 

" I will early destroy all the wicked of the land.'' Ps. ci. 8, 
God will consume them, "both soul and body." Is. x. 18. 
" The day that cometh shall burn them up, that it shall leave 
them neither root nor branch." Mai. iv. 1. " Let the sinners 
be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more." 
Ps. civ. 35. 

Again, "The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus 
Christ our Lord." But no, say these spirits; all men have 
eternal life inherently, and death is but to throw off this mortal 
coil, and man merges into spheres of life more real than ever 
before, knows more, sees more, enjoys more, than ever before. 

Here, again, we can see the lying serpent making himself 
the door, and death the means of introducing man into scenes 
of supreme felicity, and the possession of all the glories God has 
promised through Jesus Christ, by the resurrection, at his 
coming. 



98 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS! 

Dear reader, may you be kept from this snare of the Devil, 
and if you are already taken by him, ! flee to Jesus ; he will 
deliver. 



THESE SPIRITS, AS WE HAVE ALREADY PROVED, DECLARE 
THERE IS NO RESURRECTION OF THE BODY. 

And why need there be, if the body forms no part of man's 
essential existence? If man does not die (as these spirits 
affirm), then man will not be raised from the dead ; for there 
can be no resurrection of the dead where there is no death. 

Here, again, we may see the deceptive character of these 
spirits, as opposed to Bible statement. Paul declares, " if the 
dead rise not, then they which have fallen asleep in Christ are 
perished. n 1 Cor. xv. 17, 18. Is Paul right? Does he tell 
the truth ? Then, if we, or these spirits, or an angel from 
heaven, preach any other gospel, let them be accursed. Why ? 
Because they lie. 

Paul teaches that in death man is cut off, extinct, ceases to be, 
and that forever, unless there be a resurrection. 

Did Christ die ? Then He needed a resurrection. "Was He 
raised ? Then the doctrine of the resurrection is true, and the 
dead will be raised. 

The resurrection is taught by Patriarchs, Prophets, Christ, 
Angels and Apostles, and yet these spirits dare give them all 
the lie, and say there is no resurrection of the dead ! 

These spirits affirm that Christ will never come again 
personally to this earth, but that his coming is now being realiz- 
ed in these spirit manifestations. 

Here again we may trace the Serpent, in his deceptive course. 
It has ever been his work to deceive and mislead the world, in 
relation to all the great events affecting its interests. It 
was so in Paradise, when he tempted our first parents, and 



NO RESURRECTION OF THE BODY. 99 

brought death and the curse into the world, which has caused 
the earth to groan, and man to sigh, and the heart to grieve, 
nations to war, and blood to flow. 

In the days of Noah he deceived the world, saying, No dan- 
ger, when the flood was coming upon them. They listened, 
believed a lie, and were destroyed. 

So of the cities of the plain; they were held, fast bound by 
his Satanic coils. Also at the First Advent, the Jews were gene- 
rally deceived, and could not see that Christ was the Messiah^ 
and consequently fulfilled the Scriptures in condemning him ; 
and the consequence was, their nation and city were destroyed, 
and they scattered and peeled ; a hissing and a by-word among 
the nations ; a monumental sign of the deceptive power of the 
devil, and of God's just judgments against those who voluntarily 
yielded to his deceptive power. 

Again: now that the time has about arrived for Christ to 
come the second time, and the proclamation is now going forth, 
waking up the world to the grand and all-important subject, — 
as we might well expect, it stirs up the devil to do his last 
work of deception upon the inhabitants of this age. No event 
that has ever or will ever take place, in the accomplishment of 
God's purpose, stirs up the Devil, like the coming of Jesus ; — 
and well it may ; for it is a knell of death to him. Hence, it is no 
marvel that he should resort to these extraordinary manifesta- 
tions, in entering his lying protest to God's truth, in reference 
to the personal coming of Christ. This is no new lie with 
him: it began far back in the pagan book of mystics, and has 
been increasing its momentum, and it has nearly arrived at its 
climax. Be sure, it has its thousands of advocates : but still it 
is a lie of the devil. 

The idea that Christ will come spiritually, and not personally, 
forms an important part of the theology of this age; and 
truly, if his coming is spiritual, and not personal, why may not 



2Q0 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS: 

these spirit manifestations be the second coming of Christ ? It 
must be obvious that those who take that ground are most lia- 
ble to be deceived. We can only be safe, therefore, from this 
delusion and its concomitants, as we strictly adhere to the literal 
meaning of God's word. 

The devil knows full well that Christ will come again. If 
it were not so, we should not see so much opposition to it ; for 
the devil loves his own, and he is a liar, and the father of it. — 
John viii. 44. There is no truth in him. The Second Advent 
is peculiarly a matter of dread to him. 

1. Because he is then to be bound and shut up in the bottom- 
less pit, or hades. — Rev. xx. 1, &c. 

2. He will then be divested of his power to tempt, deceive, 
oppress, kill and destroy, and his spoil shall be taken from him. 
The Stronger than the strong man armed, shall come upon 
him, and he shall be hurled from his self-exalted throne, where 
he has ingloriously reigned for six thousand years. 

3. In spite of his power, the dead in Christ shall be raised 
out of the pit, and shall come forth, clothed with incorruptibil- 
ity, to die no more ; for death shall have no more dominion over 
them. 

But, on the other hand, if Christ never comes, then the devil 
is true, and all who hear to his teaching are in the truth, and 
the Bible is a fable, a deception, and all who adhere to it are 
deceived. 

Again : As the resurrection, and all the associated promises 
of God, and also his judgments, depend upon Christ's coming 
for their accomplishment, — therefore, if he never comes, God's 
purpose forever fails ; our hopes are all blasted ; and our faith, 
preaching, sacrifices, toils, all are vain, and a more than mid- 
night gloom is spread over the future : death is an eternal sleep 

But Christ will come again. A few plain Scriptures on this 
point will be all-sufficient to every believing mind. 



NO REStTRSECTIOK OF THE BODY. 101 

Said Jesus, [Johnxiv. 3]: "I will come again, and receive 
you to myself; that where I am, there ye may he also." Matt, 
xxiv. : " And they shall see the Son of Man coming in the 
clouds of heaven." Acts i. 1 1 : " This same Jesus, which is 
taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like man- 
ner, as ye have seen him go into heaven." 1 Thess. I, 10 : 
" And to wait for his [God's] Son from heaven, whom he raised 
from the dead." Chap. iv. 16 : * For the Lord himself shall 
descend from heaven," &c. 

' . 4. These spirits are infidel in their character, acts, and aims. 
This we have already proved. 

By infidel here, of course, we mean rejecting the divine teach- 
ing and authority of the Bible. 

" But," say you, " these spirits don't reject the Bible : they 
believe in it, and are very pious, pray much, and are very 
devotional," &c. , 

Yes ; I understand that : the devil is often very pious, and 
very zealous for God, when he can best accomplish his devilish 
purposes by such a course, or by assuming such a character. 
" No marvel," says Paul ; " for Satan himself is transformed 
into an angel of light." So, we may be sure, it is not his first 
appearance in such a guise. He is the parent of Jesuitism, and 
has grown old in the business of beguiling the unsuspecting. 
The deception would not succeed well, without being clad with 
the livery of the Lord. If you would ensnare the bird, you 
must remove, as far as possible, all appearance of danger, or 
you fail of success. So in this case : it will not do for the devil 
to be seen playing this game ; so he keeps his cloven foot out of 
sight, and all is clothed with a great deal of sanctity. But> 
rely upon it, it is the devil behind the curtain. 



102 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS: 



HUMAN MAGNETISM. 

It* may be asked, May not all these things be accounted for 
on the principle of human magnetism, without allowing the 
spirits of the dead, or the devil, or demons, to have anything 
to do with them ? We answer, Some things can be accounted 
for in that way, but not all, unless man possess in himself vastly 
greater power than has ever yet been discovered, which he is 
capable of exercising without any knowledge or volition of his 
own. We have seen a few attempts to solve the mystery on 
this hypothesis; but every such solution is applicable only to 
a few particular cases, and utterly fails when applied to the 
whole phenomenon. The most plausible theory of this class 
that we have seen, is set forth in an article from Samuel Tay- 
lor, a respectable physician of Petersham, Mass., published in 
a late number of the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal. 

Mr. Taylor calls the power that produces these effects de- 
tached vital electricity. After giving an account of his own 
experience in writing under this mysterious influence, Mr. 
Taylor says : 

\ "I can, however, communicate my ideas no better than by 
saying, that the human system under some circumstances seems 
capable of eliminating what I will term, for my present pur- 
pose, a detached vital electricity, such as is not brought into 
action in the common operations of life, which, by concentra- 
ting in the hand, gives it (I will not say volitions independent 
of the sensorium), but the ability to perform acts in which the 
consciousness of the performance of such action is not returned 
to the common sensorium. Better to illustrate my meaning, I 
will say, in the common act of writing a letter to a friend, the 
mind wills and the hand obeys its dictates. But the term 
* mind ' is only a name for that certain something which passes 
in continuous current from the brain to the hand, and makes it 
write. But in this case, a reflux current (if I may so express 
it) is continuously running back to the brain to convey to it 



HUMAN MAGNETISM. 103 

the consciousness of the performance of the act by the hand. 
In the case of the so-called spiritual writings,, although the act 
may really have originated in the individual's own brain, and a 
current passed to the hand dictating the performance of certain 
acts or motions, yet no current returns to convey an idea of the 
performance of such acts by the hand. The current may be 
supposed to pass off from the person." 

Now, we confess that this solution appears quite as strange 
and unnatural to our own mind, as the problem itself. We 
will name a few points which we think this theory will find 
it difficult to explain. 

1. If the act originates in the writer's own brain, why does 
he not know what was to be written until his hand has written 
it, as was the case with Mr. Taylor? Certainly the mind must 
have a consciousness of its own operations. 

2. This theory ascribes independent intelligence to the hand, 
which is unreasonable ; or, 

3. It ascribes life and intelligence to a current of electricity 
— " detached vitalised [that is, made alive] electricity" as Mr. 
Taylor calls it. 

4. The hand often manifests a skill in writing, which neither 
the medium nor persons present can be supposed to possess. 
For example, Mr. Taylor says, " I know I did not make a 
voluntary motion, but let the so-called spirits have my hand to 
do what they pleased with it. I invoked the spirit of Benja- 
min Franklin to write his name, and the name was written in 
the manner I have described above. When the last letter was 
finished, my hand began to go down under the name, and I 
could not think what it was about, but its gyrations soon exe- 
cuted the flourish as seen in the fac-simile of Franklin's auto- 
graph." Mr. Taylor's hand executed other signatures which 
were fac-similes of the autographs of the deceased persons. 
Now, it is not reasonable to suppose that Mr. Taylor had so 
disciplined his hand in making these particular signatures that 



104 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS: 

he could make them in such perfection — especially when he 
did not know what he was writing! The same objection will 
lie against attributing the moving of the hand by the electrical 
power of any other person present. We are informed that such 
chirographic performances are uniformly fac-similes of the au- 
tography of the deceased persons to whom the writing is attri- 
buted, even when executed by the hands of persons inexpe- 
rienced in penmanship. 

In view of these objections (and more might be stated), we 
conclude that Mr. Taylor's hypothesis is insufficient to account 
for this phenomenon of what is called spiritual writing. He 
does not undertake to account for other strange feats said to be 
performed by these invisible agents, such as making raps, mov- 
ing furniture, throwing things about, &c, &c. As illustrative 
of this, we give the following from a paper called the Star 
City, allowing the writer to tell his own story in his own 
style : 

" The most important and wonderful exhibits, of which we 
have any knowledge, occurred on last Sunday week, or, ' as us 
Yankees would say/ about * a fortnight ago from next Sunday.' 
We learn that on that day, at a certain house, in a certain 
street in our city, there was a young lady boarder who was a 
Medium, and had been one for some time. It appears, that the 
spirits have a firm and energetic hold upon her. They are 
exceedingly obstinate, and must certainly be spirits feminine 
we judge — from the fact that they 'will have their own way ' 
all the time. To chide them in their obstinate and rebellious 
manifestations is impossible, and cannot be done. On the holy 
day to which we refer, we learn that they got so exceedingly 
furious that they jerked off a large pair of smoothing irons 
from the mantle-shelf, and hurled them with as much force as 
old Satan would glowing brands of fire. And not being satis- 
fied with this manifestation of the Duyvel spiritualized, they 
went on to other and greater misdemeanors. 

"Plates were removed from the table, the old precious, 
blessed tea-kettle was unhooked from its cruel mockery of 



HUMAN MAGNETISM. 105 

human executions, and set down on the remotest corner of the 
social hearth — sticks of heavy, green, soggy wood danced 
merrily in the devouring flames, apparently regardless and 
soulless concerning the consuming fire — the big pot was 
thrown into the little one — the knives and forks made love 
to one another, and commenced dancing a regular fandango 
to the good old tune, ' One Hundred,' '■ right at the table ' — a 
pair of shears flew at the lady of the house — the cradle was 
tipped over in furious haste and spilt out the < sleeping wee 
one,' and tuned an organ to distress. In fact, there was a 
greater commotion in that usually quiet abode, and a more 
singular trickery of material and insensible substances than 
was that singular affair of Old Mother Goose that she describes 
in the following choice, classical effusion of poesy : 

• High, deny diddle, 
The cat's in the fiddle, <fec.' 

" The consequence of it all was, the Medium was at once com- 
manded to take French leave, that gentle peace and harmony 
might be restored ; for the sight was such a frightful one that 
the Mess-dame really flew the shanty, as for her life, and stood 
tremblingly alive with fear at such a wanton usurpation of do- 
mestic rights and bliss — and such a defiance of its compro- 
mise. 

" At other places we have heard of wonderful transactions 
that would be too tedious to mention at this time." 

Jn the city of Rochester, two intelligent and respectable 
ladies were led into the canal by this unseen-guide, which pro- 
mised them they would find some object they desired, if they 
would go, in the night, and wade directly into the water : they 
obeyed, and but for immediate aid from the husband of one 
of them, who, mistrusting something was not right, was watch- 
ing them, they would have been drowned. This case reminds 
us of the man's son who was possessed of a "dumb spirit," or 
"devil," which often cast him "into the fire, and into the 
water." — Matt. xvii. 14-18; Mark ix. 17-29. Turn to the 
New Testament, and read this account entire, dear reader, if 

you have become ensnared by these rapping demons, and be- 
5* 



106 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS! 

ware lest thou be like him. May the same hand in mercy- 
deliver you from this dreadful power ! 

At a house in Cincinnati, some unknown power began to 
break the windows : some seventy panes of glass were broken 
out. The police were sent for, and stationed in all parts of the 
£ house, and about it. The windows continued to be broken 
after the police arrived, and while they were searching and 
watching for the cause. They saw the windows broken, f«it 
could not discover the cause. No visible object was seen em- 
ployed, except one onion, which was thrown with violence 
through one pane : but where the onion came from they could 
not tell. 

Who can tell to what fearful ends this dreadful power may be 
carried ? There is no safety against its wiles and its violence < 
but in faith in God and his word. Those who believe in the 
immortality of the soul are in much the most danger of being 
imposed upon by these lying demons. Believe the Scripture 
testimony in regard to the state of the dead— that they are 
unconscious — "know nothing," — then, as they have said 
themselves, you are " clad in a coat of mail" against them. 

As we have shown before, it is the general opinion, as well 
as the testimony of the spirits themselves, that 

THESE PHENOMENA ARE PRODUCED BY ELECTRICAL POWER. 

The following explanation is from the N. Y. Tribune for 
January 21 : 

" Here it was proposed that the spirit should produce his 
credentials — answer test questions — that we might have con- 
fidence^ To this he readily assented, answered every interroga- 
tory, without evasion, ambiguity, or equivocation; named, & of 
his own accord, little incidents, known only to himself and some 
one member of the family, while that member withdrew from 
the table, &c. In short, our questions expressive of doubt were 
pushed to the verge of incivility, and were excusable only on the 



PRODUCED BY ELECTRICAL POWER. 10 7 

plea that we were required to believe in something highly- 
incredible in its very nature. For instance : 

" Question — to the spirit of Samuel C. Wood: 

" ' How and why are spirits thus permitted and enabled at 
this time to commune with their brethren in the flesh ? and 
why is it necessary to have a medium V 

"Answer: * In the year eighteen hundred and forty-three, a 
change was made in the world of spirits, and the immortal 
principle of man was enabled to so far break from the inertness 
of their condition, as to come to earth and communicate through 
electrical agency — a subtile agency, but sufficient for our pur- 
pose. For agents or mediums, we take nervous people, 
as, through them, we are better able to communicate, as 
they are better mediums, being possessed of more nervo-vital 
fluid, which is a better conductor of electricity, being more 
purely electrical in its nature, physicians' theories to the contrary 
notwithstanding.' 

" About this time, the communication was interrupted, and 
objections were raised; first, that it was not electricity, but 
something analogous thereto, that had an agency in these de- 
monstrations, yet the spirit insisted that it was identically 
Franklinian electricity. Upon inquiry of this spirit, we under- 
stood his meaning to be, that the nervo-vital fluid is a better 
excitor of electricity, being more purely electrical in mediums, 
than in other people. Being requested to proceed, he said : — 

"'How glorious for those, who have no faith in God, to think 
that there is a future existence beyond the valley of the shadow 
of death !' 

" Question: ' Do you mean, How happy it is for those, who 
have had no faith in the revelation of God, to be convinced of 
their error, and be assured, <fec. ?' 

"Answer: 'Yes.' 

" Question — [Jan. 16] — ' How do you make the raps on 
the table?' 

li Answer: 'Through the medium, we are able to send elec- 
tricity to the table ; which, coming in contact with a hard body 
and a non-conductor, produces a concussion, and passes off in 
the air, it being a better conductor.' 

" Meaning — by the agency of the medium, and his nervo- 
vital fluid, in obedience to an effort of our will, we excite and 
propel electricity," <fcc. 



108 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS I 

We may grant that electricity is the agent by which these 
things are done ; and we presume it is so ; yet it by no means 
follows, that either human beings, or the spirits of the dead, 
excite the electricity in such cases. It is more reasonable to 
suppose that it is done by the devil, or some of his invisible 
angels, called unclean spirits or demons. The mediums be- 
come entirely passive to the control of these invisible operators, 
and then they affect their minds and muceles as they please. 
This will be seen from the following directions how to become 
a medium, which we copy from a work entitled, " Light from 
the Spirit World," by the author of the Pilgrimage of Thomas 
Paine : 

"RULES. 

"We would recommend the following rules to persons de- 
sirous of becoming Mediums : 

1. Sit one hour each day where no noise will attract atten- 

tion. 

2. When sitting, concentrate the mind on the spirit from 

whom a communication is desired, until the hand is 
moved. 

3. When the hand is moved, neither aid nor resist its move- 

ment. 

4. When the spirit desires to communicate, it will write with- 

out aid, to do which it is sometimes found necessary to 
impress on the mind of the medium, the word intended 
to be written. 
6. When the impression is made, the hand will be moved to 
write the word as it is impressed on the mind. 

6. When the word is written as impressed on the mind, the 

medium should not doubt, because doubt is what makes 
resistance. 

7. When mediums resist^ nothing reliable can be written. 

8. Some will be moved to write without impressions, and 

they will write slower than others, until they can be 
impressed. 

9. Hold no controversy with any one on the subject of writ- 

ing, and avoid all disputes. 



TO AVOID BECOMING MEDIUMS. 109 

10. When the medium is moved to write, one hour only in 

each day should be spent, until directed by spirits. 

11. When directions are given, the medium must be wise 

and obey. 

12. Whe wisdom of the wise shall control the folly of the 

unwise. Therefore the medium would do well to 
concentrate the mind on spirits of that circle capa- 
ble of instructing in the knowledge of God and the 
wisdom of heaven." 

When the person has thus yielded himself up under the 
delusive impression, that the spirits of the deceased are going 
to communicate something important to, or through him, how 
easy for the devil to " lead him captive at his will," and make 
him his medium of deception to the world ! We submit the 
following 

RULES 

TO AVOID BECOMING MEDIUMS. 

1. Take heed ! Watch and pray. 

2. Set your mind on things heavenly and divine. 

3. When you feel that mysterious influence coming on you, 

resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 

4. Try the spirits whether they are of God. 

5. Place no dependence upon impressions ; let the plain testi- 

mony of God's word decide every matter. 

6. You should not doubt God's word ; because unbelief ex- 

poses you to the temptations of the devil. 

7. So long as you resist the devil, you cannot be led captive 

by him. 

8. The way to become impressed with the truth is, to study 

the Bible, with prayer. 

9. Contend earnestly for the faith once delivered unto the 

saints. 

10. When tempted to become a medium, say, * Get behind 

me, Satan ! " 



110 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS: 

<11. Full directions are given in the Bible: be wise, and obey 

them. 
12. Be not deceived. The fear of the Lord is the beginning 
of wisdom. Seek first the kingdom of God and his 
righteousness. Let no man take thy crown. 



THE DEVIL A REAL BEING. 

We are aware that the prevailing opinion is, that there is no 
real, personal devil ; that what is called the devil is only an 
evil principle in man. Those who are of this opinion are, of 
course, not prepared to receive the solution we have given of 
the " spirit rappings." If there is a real, personal devil, with 
a character ascribed to him in the Scriptures, we might expect 
that he would seek to induce men to disbelieve in his existence ; 
for to be feared and shunned, he needs only to be known. 

1. Men are bad enough; but they are not devils. Some 
are devilish. When we hear a person called a devil, we un- 
derstand it to be a strong figure, comparing him to the great 
prince of wickedness ; and we conceive it difficult for any per- 
son to avoid making the comparison in his own mind. 

2. In the days of our Savior's first advent, many persons 
are said to have been possessed of devils, or demons. Some 
of these persons were dumb ; yet the devils possessing them 
spake. Has an evil principle vocal organs ? Some were thrown 
into the fire and into the water. Did an evil principle in them 
do this ? In one case, the demons, after praying aloud, were 
cast out of the men, and went into a herd of swine. Was this 
a " legion " of evil principles ? 

3. The story of the fall contains evidence to prove that the 
devil is not an evil principle in man. The whole creation had 
been completed, man the crowning work, and all pronounced 



THE DEVIL A REAL BEING. Ill 

" very good." If man was " good " he had no devil in him, 
nor evil principle. The devil (no matter now about his form ; 
let it be a snake if you please,) at first appeared to the woman; 
talked with her, and gave her the fruit She ate, and gave to 
her husband, and he ate. In making her excuse, the woman 
said, " The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat " — not my evil 
disposition. Then follow three distinct curses: First, upon 
the tempter ; second, upon the woman ; third, upon the man. 
If there were not three persons in that transaction, the record 
is calculated to deceive. "But it was a serpent," says one. 
Well, the devil can as easily transform himself into a serpent 
as into an angel of light. This objection does not lie at all 
against the distinct personality of the devil. 

4. The first two chapters of the book of Job contain clear 
evidence that there is a real being called the devil, or Satan. 
The reader will please examine those chapters in full 

5. The story of the temptation furnishes unanswerable proof 
against the theory, that the devil is only an evil principle in 
man. Did he, the Son of God, " who knew no sin," have a 
devil inwrought in his very being ? Read the whole narrative 
in Matt, iv., or Luke iv., and you cannot resist the conviction, 
that the Satan who tempted our Lord was a real and distinct 
being. 

6. The devil is uniformly represented in the Scriptures as 
the great foe of man, against whom we are to watch, and 
whom we are to resist. 

1. The evil principle, which the theory we are opposing, 
calls the devil, is, in the Scriptures, called the "Jlesh" 

8. The devil has the "power of death." See Heb. ii. 14. 
This cannot be said of an evil principle in man. Christ will 
destroy him, in fulfilment of Gen. iii. 15. He is the "prince 
of the power of the air; " " the god of this world: " he rules 
in the hearts of the children of disobedience, and blinds their 



112 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS: 

minds. He is represented by the "strong man armed" in 
Luke xi. 21, 22. Christ can control him. 

9. We learn from Matt. xxv. 41, that at the judgment-day 
an everlasting fire (called everlasting from its effects,) will have 
been prepared for the devil and his angels, and that wicked men 
will have their part in that place with them. This shows that 
the devil and his angels are a class of beings distinct from 
wicked men. That place is often called hell (gehenna, not 
hades). But the Bible does not justify what the spirit of 
Lorenzo Dow is reported to have said, viz., that " hell is man's 
own body" Methinks if Dow were alive, and could preach to 
these spirits once, they would cease slandering him in this way. 
The effect of being cast into that fire, is said, in Eev. xx. and 
xxi., to be the " second death" 

The Scriptures record more wonderful feats that have been 
performed by the devil, than any that have yet been witnessed 
in these mysterious manifestations of our day. We may yet 
see greater than have ever been recorded. 



FAMILIAR SPIRITS. 

These spirits are exceedingly "familiar" With those en- 
tirely devoted to them, they will do almost anything, rap, write, 
move, or throw things about, play musical instruments, touch 
them, pull their hair, pinch them, throw them down, direct 
them from place to place, whisper, peep, groan, mutter and talk 
to them, &c. &c. They prefer that those with whom they are 
communicating be cheerful and even jovial; and intercourse 
with them does not, so far as we have seen and heard, at all 
tend to produce sobriety, or cultivate any of the Christian 
graces. Though they are sometimes pious ; yet they are not 
very select in their company, communing as freely with the 



FAMILIAR SPIRITS. 113 

profligate and profane as with the virtuous and Christian. To 
show the light in which these " familiar spirits " are held by 
the Bible, we give the principal passages in which reference is 
made to them : 

Lev. xix. 31 : " Regard not them that have familiar spirits, 
neither seek after wizards, 'to be defiled with them ; I am the 
Lord your God." 

xx. 6 : " The soul that turneth after such as have familiar 
spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will 
even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from 
among his people." 

Ver. 27 : "A man also or a woman that hath a familiar 
spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death." 

Deut. xviii. 10, 11 : " There shall not be found among you 
* * * a consulter with familiar spirits." 

1 Sam. xxviii. 1 ; 1 Chron. x. 13 : " Then Saul said unto his 
servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I 
may go to her, and inquire of her. So Saul died for his trans- 
gression which he committed against the Lord, even against 
the word of the Lord, which he kept not, and also for asking 
counsel of one that had a familiar spirit." 

Isa. viii. 19: "And when they shall say unto you, Seek 
unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards, that 
peep and that mutter; should not a people seek unto their 
God?" 

Who will dare disregard these plain directions of God's 
word ? Remember, you do it when you consult these familiar 
spirits. God names himself in contrast to these spirits, and 
says, "Should not a people seek unto their God," instead of 
them? 

How vast the contrast between the revelations from him,made 
by holy angels and prophets, and contained in the Bible, and 
the revelations of these familiar rapping spirits ! 



114 MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS.* 

NECROMANCY. 

Necromancy is " the art of revealing future events by means 
of a pretended communication with the dead. 2. Enchantment, 
conjurations." — Webster. It is from the Greek nekros, which 
means the dead in opposition to the Jiving ; and manteia, from 
manteuomai, to divine, prophesy, deliver an oracle ; in general, 
to consult an oracle. Seek divinations. Hence, necromancy 
signifies, not only prophesying by the dead, but consulting 
them in anyway. The consulting of these rapping spirits is 
necromancy, in the most emphatic sense. This is forbidden by 
the Bible. 

Deut. xviii. 10, 11 : "There shall not be found among you 
* * * a necromancer." 

King Saul was condemned and slain ; and one of his chief 
offences, was seeking to consult Samuel when dead. The Lord 
asks by his prophet Isaiah, why a people should forsake him 
and consult the dead in behalf of the living. — Isa. viil 
19, 20. 



BEWARE I 



It is a device of the devil, to make people believe that the 
dead are alive, and induce them to consult them, and then give 
the responses himself. Kemember, dear reader, that Satan is 
the high priest of hades, the place or state*of the dead; and 
if you inquire at that oracle*, if you get any response, it will 
be from him. He is ever ready, with his countless hosts of 
angels, or subordinate demons, to ensnare the unwary. Be- 
ware of him. He is an adversary, and seeketh whom he may 
devour. He has already, in the United States, about two 
thousand writing mediums, and perhaps more than twenty 
times that number, who habitually hold intercourse with him 



BEWARE. 115 

by means of these demoniacal revelations. As yet, there have 
been only a few instances of great violence, but enough to show 
there is a tremendous and fearful power that may be employed 
if allowed. What effect continued intercourse with these de- 
mons may have on the minds of persons we cannot say. We 
find the following statement in a recent number of one of 
our city papers : " Six patients have been admitted into the 
Indiana Insane Hospital within the past month whose insanity 
has been produced by the spirit rappings." This is the fruit of 
one month in the State of Indiana. Who can tell what the 
end will be ? 

" Now the spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times 
some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits 
and doctrines of devils ; speaking lies in hypocrisy." — 1 Tim. 
iv. 1, 2. 

" And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, 
that they should believe a he ; that they all might be damned 
who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteous- 
ness."— 2 Thess. ii. 11,12. 

Commending him to the word of God's grace, and entreating 
him to abide in the truth, and watch unto prayer, that he may 
escape the perils of these last days, and stand before the Son of 
Man at his appearing, we bid the reader Adieu. 



INDEX. 



A 

Alphabet, how used by the spirits,. 9 

A Real Phenomenon, 72 

B 

Berserker among the Scandinavians, 47 

By whom these communications are made, and for what, 51 

Beware ! — concluding remarks, 115 

c 

Chief objects of these communications-, 83 

Communication from the spirit of Swedenborg, 86 

D 

Death of a child made known to its father at Rochester, by 
spirit rapping, before it could be communicated from Lock- 
port by telegraph, 16 

Dead unconscious, 33, 34 

Description of spirits, 43, 86, 87 

Deceptive character, 74 

Demons, 81,82 

Deny the resurrection, 87, 90, 98 

Deny the second personal coming of Christ, 98-101 

Devil a real being, 110 

E 

English lady, 45 

Electrical power, 87, 106 

F 

Familiar spirits, 34,35, 112, 113 

H 

History — 

" Hydesville, 5 

" Rochester, 10 

" Auburn and other places, 36 



118 INDEX. 

How the sounds are made, 49 

Heaven and Hell, spirits' definition of, 83, 84 

Human Magnetism — Mr. Taylor's hypothesis, 102 

I 

Investigations, public at Rochester, 11 

" by a committee of ladies, ...13, 14 

" by individuals 15 

Immortality of the soul, the object of these spirit revelations to 

teach, 26,55,57,86 

Immortality to be received at the resurrection, 96 

K 

Kentucky "Jirks," 68 

L 

Ladies led into the canal, 105 

Lying Spirits, 74-79 

M 

Mental questions answered, 14, 17 

3ST 

JSToises not made by ventriloquism nor machinery, 13 

.Not a new thing, 37 

.Necromancy, 114 



Profess to be spirits of deceased persons, 7, 21, 26, 29, 30, 59 

Play musical instruments, 28 

Pilgrimage of Thomas Paine, 88 

R 

Removal of part of the Fox Family to Rochester, and the noises 

first heard there, 10 

Rules to become mediums, 108 

Rules to avoid becoming mediums, 109, 110 

s 

Statement of Mrs. Fox, 6 

" of Wm, Duesler, 8 

* of Eld. Jones, 16 

" of C. W. Capron — from private journal, 17 

" of C. Hammond, 18 

ofP ., 20 

" of J. E. Robinson, 24 

" from the Havana Republican, 26 



INDEX. 119 

Statement from the Binghamton Republican, 27 

" of editor N. Y. Merchant's Day Book, .' 27 

of Phineas A. Smith 28 

" of Emanuel S weden borg, 44 

** from the Advent Harbinger, ' 32 

" t from the Bible Examiner, 52 

from the Star City, 104 

Sounds made on the pavement, ground, &c, 13, 14 

Seeress of Prevost, 42 

Shakers, 48 

Spirits write without human agency, 69 

Swedenborg's prophecy of the triumph of his spiritual theory in 

1852, 84 

Swedenborg's hostility toward the apostle Paul, 85 

T 

The spirits audible, tangible and visible, 19, 53, 56 

Theology of the spirits, that of Swedenborg, Davis, <fec, 83, 86 

They teach universal salvation, 86, 87, 92, 96 

Thomas Paine's character, 95 

V 

Ventriloquism, sounds not made by, 13 

w 

Wesley family, rappings in, '. 37 

Worshiping spirits, 64 

What is spirit ? and what spirits are these ? 80 

Windows broken — Cincinnati, 106 



TAB LE MOV ING. 

To the Editor of The N. Y. Tribune. 

Sir : I Lave "been expecting for some time to see some 
rational explanation of the phenomena of" table movings " 
so called, but seeing none, and as superstitious ideas are 
still associated with them in the minds of many, I submit 
the following to the consideration of yourself and readers. 
The explanation of these phenomena, as it seems to me? 
may he found in the well known fact, that muscles will act 
in obedience to emotional impulses, and a predominant idea, 
without any exercise of the will, and often, in opposition to 
it — thep>erson not being conscious of having exerted any 
muscular power. 

It is not every person that can voluntarily induce this 
state, to that degree requisite to move tables, <fce., without 
consciousness of exertion, but there are some, and in every 
neighborhood, one or more ; so that there is scarcely a per- 
son in the community now, who lias not had an opportunity 
of witnessing the phenomena. The emotional state, in the 
case of table-movings, consists, chiefly, in many instances, 
in the strong belief, or expectation, that through some elec- 
trical or other mysterious influence, the table will sooner or 
later move ; but this is not essential — the very idea of table- 
moving, without any faith in it, will excite, after a while, in 
many individuals, involuntary, automatic movements, and 
the table will move, while the person who causes its move- 
ments, is entirely unconscious of exerting volition, orthe 
slightest amount of force. If the table be heavy, such in- 
dividual, will after a time, feel weary and exhausied, which, 
is often erroneously attributed to the abstraction of elec- 
tricity from the body. This abstraction of mind, aud con- 
centration upon one idea, with or wiihout the strong ex- 
pectation of success, at length excites involuntary efforts, 
often very powerful, which even the will probably could not 
re strain, and the table cuts many strange antics, and makes 
sundry irregular movements, now forward, and now from 
the individual in total violation of ail laws of attraction or 
repulsion, as connected with electricity, or auy other 
.know 11 agent. Tin- will, however, is not wholly without 
influence, for the table will take the direction which the in- 
dividual wishes, or which some one present may indicate, 
as np stairs, or toward a particular part of the room, or 
will stand on one leg, or revolve in either direction, or move 
to cither side. Emotional excitement may intensify voli- 
tional power in certain persons, so that they can litt extra- 
ordinary weights, and do very wonderful things ; aud that 
too without conscious eifort.as in artificial somnambulism ; in 
which state a mat has been known too swiug a 281b. weight 
around hi3 head on his little linger alone, which he co aid? 



not have done in his natural and waking state. His whole 
menial energy is concentrated on one object, his wholes 
mind occupied by one idea, and he is not conscious at 
the time, or afterward, of exerting any muscular power. 
It is very probable that in cases where any heavy tables 
or other bodies are moved, the medium may be in a psycho- 
logical condition, analogous to if not identical with that 
of artificial sonnambulism. So, in the well-known experi- 
ment, where four persons lift a full sized individual from 
the floor or the ground into the air by the aid of two fin- 
gers of each hard, when they all take in a full breath pre* 
viously lo the effort, the person lifted doing the same. But: 
the success in this experiment, as may easily be proved, 
depends entirely, as it does in table-moving, on fixing the 
attention closely on the effort, if not the full conviction of 
success. Let the attention of the lifters be distracted, or 
let them be wholly skeptical, which will have the effect of 
distracting the attention, the body will not be elevated, but 
weigh down like so much lead. But if the condition, 
above mentioned be fulfilled, then the bjdy will be lifted 
with the greatest ease ; and that too, without conscious ef- 
fort, while it is demonstrable that each of the four iifters 
raised, perhaps, from 30 tc 40 pounds each. This is quite 
as wonderful as table moving, if it does not belong to the 
same class ef phenomena. I have in repeated instances 
suddenly seized the arms of a medium, whose hands were 
said to rest lightly on the table, the table itself moving in 
all sort of directions, and found, as I judged, a pressure of 
from 5 to 30 or more pounds exerted, according to the 
amount of strength required, although the medium stated 
positively that the hands barely rested on the table. This 
may be a rude experiment where ladies are the mediums, 
as they mostly are, but still it is a very useful and conclu- 
sive one to such as choose to try it. But very little power, 
however, is required to move the tables generally used, as 
light pne, card, or quartette tables ; and when in motion,, 
still less. The phenomena which may be produced in that 
state of natural and artificial reverie and, abstraction, ab- 
surdly called the liolo°ical state, may possibly throw some 
I light On this subject. The actions occurring in this state 
are essentially automatic ; the movements are independent 
of volition, or motion, depending on ideas which are sug- 
gested to and which occupy the mind at the tiaie: and- 
which some physiologists call ideo-motor— the result of the 
reflex action of the cerebrum ; and so the automatic, invol- 
untary movements in table-moving, occurring' in a state of 
abstraction or partial reverie, are equally idea motor, the 
result of the rejlex action of the brain, and flow from the- 
ideas possessing it at tU<? time. This peculiar ment: 
dition, or anjSiractlofJ, jti&y, &fter » while, be yoam* 
tarijy induced: and. I have Known females who 
at __ first required half an hour or more of siiem&e 



a "? COD ^nt^'tion to bring the mind into this 
p'fh 6 °v* taction— when muscular movements would be 
either '^dependent of the will, or exerted with unconscious- 
F ^ cf volition— who by practice could induce it almost 
immediately, and the table would begin to move almost 
as Soon as the hands were placed on it. Just so some- 
females can by practice induce syncope, the hysterical 
condition, or artificial somnambulism, at will. That the 
movement is determined by the dominant idea is evident, 
from the fact that if the persons whose hands rest on the 
table occupy their time in conversation, or story-telling, or 
listening to the reading of some interesting book, the table 
will not budge an inch. The mind must be occupied with 
the idea that the table is about to move, or with. tablttkoving,- 
or it will not move ; but then the volitional power may be 
directed to other objects; it may even be exerted to pre- 
vent the movements of the table, but still it will move, 
And thus the muscular action is wholly automatic and in- 
vcluu^iiv, and the medium is neither conscious at toe trine 
nor afterward cf having had the slightest instrumentality 
in causing the movements. Many are satisfied that they 
move the tables, but are wholly unable to give any expla- 
nation as to how it is done. Some, however, are wholly 
incredulous, and stoutly deny that they have any agency 
in the matter, and, being persons of veracity, cthcr3 
take them at their word, and then resolve the whole 
business into the work of spirits, or electrical ac- 
tion, instead of seeking an explanation in accordance 
with the known laws of mind. Some persons have the 
habit of '{thinking aloud,",®* it is called, who are just as 
unwilling to believe what they are told to have uttered, as 
table-movers to believe that they moved the tables. In the 
one case tailing is involuntary, and there is no remem- 
bered consciousness of the act, and in the other fintscttiar 
extrtum. To show the influence of a predominant idea over 
an individual, take the case of a person who stands on a 
dangerous hight or precipice ; his mind is occupied with the 
idea of the consequences of his fall, and he either throws 
himself down, or hastens from the spot, for fear he will do 
so. At one time it became so common for persons to throw 
themselves from the monument in London, and the Napo- 
leon column in the Place Vendome, in Paris, that the pub- 
lic authorities caused access to them to be closed. 

I shall be gratified to find the above explanation satisfac- 
tory to reflecting andrational minds, (there are some whom 
we may not hope to satisfy, as of spirit-rappings,) and serve 
to dispel some of the superstition to which theTtablemoving 
phenomena have given rise. Rio. 

Geneta, May 20, 1853, 



8350 








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